The Hero of Tomorrow
by Derp'Koz
Summary: The last thing Jayce remembers is the heat of the battle. The anger in Viktor's eyes and his own wrath... But now, now there was only confusion... Because The Defender of Tomorrow was fairly sure this wasn't Runeterra... Just, what is that ominous tower he sees at the distance?
1. Chapter 1 - We are no longer in Valoran

**Had this funny feeling bothering me for a while and I knew I had to write it...**

 **Hope you can enjoy it and I also hope you can leave a review**

 **:3**

* * *

 **I**

 **We are no longer in Valoran.**

That was certainly blue.

Those were the first thoughts he had when he woke up. Not because he had never looked at the sky or because he was stupid... He was simply confused due to the power of the impact and his brain was trying to re-boot itself... He knew that there was no way he would be interested in something as abstract and useless as the endless blue vault above his head...

Not that he believed the sky was useless... He just couldn't find a proper use for such thing at the moment. Yes, the zeppelins did soar that wonderful sea but aside from being the 'pavement' of those vessels there simply was no other use. Again yes, many artists and poets had found inspiration in its magical mystery... But come on! That thing has been there for centuries! What is the point of looking at such thing if there was absolutely no proper use for such thing aside from a 'road' and the next 'unicorn' of an idiotic junkie!

You couldn't really blame his way of thinking... After all, Piltover was known as the City of Progress and there was nothing more infuriating for a scientist than something they couldn't really interact or experiment with. Especially for Jayce, the Defender of Tomorrow.

From a young age, he knew he was a genius. All the other kids around him seemed dull and stupid in some way. He was an outcast as everyone would expect. A child that prefers to lock himself behind a book and forget about the rest of the world is bound to have a lonely childhood. Jayce never understood what was the point in having fun with a bunch of toys. He was more interested in taking them apart to see what lied behind. He wanted to know the truth behind every door and behind every window. He pushed his already brilliant mind to the limits until he became what he was destined to be... One of the greatest scientist in Piltover.

Such things didn't matter right now... His exhausted brain finally ended this therapeutic episode and Jayce began to make sense of the things around him...

He groaned in annoyance as the muscles in his back screamed in pain when he tried to move. He blinked a few times noticing how dry his eyes were. He remained on the ground for a few seconds, extending his awareness all over his body. Trying to figure out if there was something broken or if he had sustained some internal injury. He hummed satisfied when his exploration proved there was nothing wrong with him. The pain was probably caused due to staying lying on the ground for a long period of time or it could be because of the blast he received during the match...

Wait...

Wait a minute...

...

...

...

Oh!

That's right! The match...

...

THE MATCH!?

Jayce jumped from the floor, the sudden movement caused him to feel dizzy but he simply had no time to worry about that. He was currently fighting in an important match! There was no time to look and the sky and think about the crustacean immortality! He was chosen especially for this match and there was no way he was going to fail his summoner! But above everything else, he refused to lose against Viktor, The Machine Herald and his opponent on the Middle Lane!

' _Summoner Badger, can you hear me? I apologize for my failure_ ' Jayce thought as he rushed through the road ' _I simply failed to ward the jungle properly and that's why Lee Sin managed to sneak on me... I still have the lead in both farm and kills so I suppose this little setback won't matter that much. Top lane and Bottom lane are quite respectable, and even though our jungle lacks the proper mechanics, I still believe we can win the game..._ ' No response ' _Summoner Badger...? What's wrong...? Can you hear...?_ ' Jayce cut his train on thoughts and stopped his mad dash until he realized what was wrong.

He was running in a road... A dirty road surrounded by green grass. There were no turrets. No nexus. No base. No minions. No jungle... Hell, not even the fountain where he was supposed to respawn every time he died in combat...

This wasn't The Summoner's Rift...

Jayce looked up once again and finally realized why he was so engrossed with the sky... The sky at the Summoner's Rift was filled with hundreds of crystal orbs that recorded and broadcasted the match across Valoran... But this sky was empty, not a single sign of the Summoners' devices... This couldn't be the Summoner's Rift. Jayce focused and tried to find his connection with his summoner but found nothing. A deadly and terrifying silence filled his mind... There was nothing... This wasn't Summoner's Rift... This wasn't Runeterra...

A cold sweat ran through his spine and make him shiver in fear... A thought he didn't wish to have, such ridiculous idea had no place in his mind because it was simply impossible... But then again, he was a champion of the League of Legends, and if there was something the League was known for... It was how the impossible became part of the routine.

Jayce was no longer in Valoran... What's more... He began to think he wasn't even in Runeterra...

"That's ridiculous..." He laughed bitterly "That is completely ridiculous, there is no way such stupid idea is possible... I must have sustained a great deal of damage and I am currently unconscious in the infirmary... I will wake up in a few minutes and I will see the gentle smile of Soraka. Vi will come to mock me with her usual brutish self, I will call her names and we will laugh like always... If I am lucky, even Caitlyn could come to check my health and I could get away with a few compliments and even a date...! Yes! That has to be!" He clapped, reaching a conclusion "This is just a dream! And not just any kind of dream... A complete and utter nightmare! That explains everything and I am sure I will wake up..." He gazed around him and discovered a tall construction not far away from him "It has to be a dream... It has to be..." His words were almost a plea.

* * *

"This... This cannot be a dream!" Jayce finally exclaimed with aggravation. "This has to be a nightmare! A frigging nightmare!" His screams only made a few pedestrians look at him and whisper quietly.

The city at which he had arrived was certainly a sight to behold. It looked like on of those old Demacian settlements he once saw in a history book. The houses had that sort of medieval look and he wasn't able to see any sort of technological devices anywhere. The citizens were dressed like the common folk in Noxus, wearing capes, robes, leather shirts and pants, and he even saw a group of people wearing clothes similar to Vladimir. A bunch of uncomfortable pieces of fabric, designed to be stiff and hard to wear... Hell, his dreams were completely devoided of sense!

Jayce was a man of science but one of his guilty pleasures was to study that rubbish talk about the soul and garbage like that. He was quite interested in astrology and in the secrets behind dreams. As a child from Piltover, such arts were deemed as a trap for tourist and Ionian nobles. But as the man of science he was, he couldn't pass the opportunity to see if such arts were a faux invention. He was sure he was inside some sort of deep dream where his conscience created a different reality based on his experience, dreams, aspirations and secret desires. Deep dreams were a reality but there were simply no tools to record the data acquired. Also, the testimony of the subjects was pretty much useless since most of them forgot everything about the dream. This was a nice chance to investigate this matter with his own hands.

And besides...

He would never admit it... But he was One Hundred percent sure he would find an army of Caitlyns wearing nothing but sexy lingerie, maybe a few Vis... And if he was as shameless as everyone claimed, he would even see the infamous Loose Cannon and the Lady of Clockwork... Jayce smiled lewdly and quickly ran to the tower he discovered at the distance...

But now...

His lecherous expectations were destroyed and lied in front of him as a pile of mud.

There was nothing inside the city that could be remotely related to anything in his head. Not a single piece of Hextech devices or Techmaturgy technology... And if this was a nightmare, he couldn't find Viktor destroying everything he loved anywhere... This was just an old Demacian/Noxian village filled with a lot of folks... And a big tower at center.

"Nothing makes sense!" He yelled once again and sat behind a strange statue. It was the image of a beautiful woman wearing a robe.

Jayce sighed and focused on the pedestrians again. Sure, those definitely looked like normal people but he began noticing some peculiar things. Some of those people were wearing armor and were actually carrying things like swords, staffs, shields, bows, spears and all sort of dangerous weapons with weird shapes and colors. Those groups had this strange aura that reminded Jayce of the few mercenaries that somehow managed to enter Piltover. Not quite outstanding, especially for a champion like himself but they did look interesting. He felt a low hum next to him and caressed his beloved weapon.

He was actually quite happy with his brain this time around. To think his subconscious managed to recreate his precious Mercury Hammer perfectly was something he was extremely proud of. Every nook and cranny, from the core to the wires and even the cogs and screws. Even that strange sound it sometimes made was there... Those weapons the citizens had were something, but they were nothing in comparison to his greatest weapon. In fact, some of those mercenaries glanced at his hammer with interest and sometimes jealousy. He nodded and congratulated himself for designing such fine piece of art.

He especially noticed a certain small girl that was carrying a big backpack. She was using some strange robe but Jayce was able to notice what made her different from the crowd... Her ears... Animal ears. Jayce was able to see a bunch of non-humans around the crowd. Some had of small characteristics such as animal ears and tails but some others were anthropomorphic creatures... Not that impressive, especially considering Jayce had seen a bunch of those at the League. Ahri was extremely famous around the summoners, and creatures like Nasus and Renekton did leave strong impressions. Jayce couldn't also forget the recent addition of the Vastaya and the always terrifying aura of the voidlings.

But this girl had something unusual... And absolutely disturbing. His light brown eyes were completely focused on Jayce's hammer... He had seen that sort of eyes in many Zaunite scientists back in the day. A glare filled with greed and nothing but evil intentions. The kind of glare assassins would sometimes have before they killed their victim... Jayce had seen that sort of glare all around the League of Legends and he himself had bore it once or twice, it was something he wasn't proud of but he had to recognize fighting and killing almost every day could do that to the purest soul.

Jayce studied the girl for a short time before she was called by another group. She glanced at Jayce once before she disappeared in the sea of people. Jayce relaxed when he could no longer feel her eyes on him and decided to shelter himself from the glares somewhere else. He could tell these mercenaries were heading to the big tower at the center of the town... He ignored the reason but he was sure he wanted to avoid them as much as possible... He didn't know why but this dream was turning less exciting with each passing second... Even a nightmare would be more entertaining at this point.

Moving down the streets, he began looking for a pub or a restaurant. Anything that would hide his appearance would do at this point... And he found it after a while.

" 'Hostess of Fertility'?" He wasn't surprised he could understand the strange runes, this was his dream after all "Quite alluring for my tastes but I suppose this will do for now."

It was a two-story building with a nice design. Jayce guessed this was some sort of famous establishments since he was able to see a lot of customers through the windows. He wanted to sit at the back in order to avoid unwanted attention but it seemed like it would be hard. Even so, he entered the pub, it was better than staying outside where everyone could see him... And besides, he could always blend with the crown if necessary.

"My, My! An adventurer this early?" A huge woman boomed from the counter "You must have caught great prey, huh? Come in and take a seat! I'll make sure you fill your belly with delicious food and fine beer!"

...

...

...

This... Was a terrible Idea...

Not only that woman brought unnecessary attention to Jayce and put him in a bad spot... Almost every customer was a normal citizen... And on top of that, every single one of them was focused on him! Jayce tried to smile but there was simply nothing good about this situation, he couldn't leave because that would only get him more attention... But staying seemed like trouble as well... This was definitely not his best dream or his lucky day...

Whatever...

He sighed and took at seat at the most secluded table he could find... This dream was truthfully a pain in the ass...

"Hello, how can I serve you today?" A soft voice called him.

Jayce was quite surprised when he didn't realize a waitress was already in front of him... Then again, he had more important things to worry about... But he had to admit, this young girl was definitely unusual. His sapphire and cold eyes were as mysterious as his greenish blond hair. Thanks to the League, Jayce had come into contact with many individuals with strange and unusual features... He could see her pointy ears at the sides and that only made her even more interesting. So far, the only individual he had met with such feature was Janna so Jayce wondered if the girl was a magician... Either way, he decided not to think about it that much. This was a dream and his brain was probably playing a trick.

"What is your order, sir?" She insisted once again.

"Uh...? Ah! Nothing for now, sweetie" He said with his trademark smile "I just have to organize my stuff first, I will call you once I'm ready."

The young girl gave him a cold glare, she then nodded and left without saying anything else... Jayce wasn't sure why but he felt that girl hated him for some strange reason...

Frigging Nightmare.

He shook his head and got rid of those useless thoughts. There were far more interesting things to experiment right now. If this was a dream and his subconscious was able to replicate the Mercury Hammer perfectly, he wondered what other things were with him at the moment. So he inspected all of his pockets and placed every object across the table so he could study them all.

So far, he was quite surprised with his findings...

The first object was his wallet. A gift given to him by Caitlyn during his birthday, it was from a recognized brand and few nobles of Piltover had one like that. The contents of the wallet consisted in a few business cards, a photo of Caitlyn and Vi in their police uniform, a special discount coupon for his next visit to Blitzcrank's P.E.R.V., a piece of paper with a phone number and a few gold coins. Quite outstanding to have found every object perfectly replicated.

The second object was a bag of gold, this was the money Jayce had gained during the match before he was ganked by Lee Sin. If his memory didn't fail him, there were Four thousand, eight Hundred and twenty-one coins of gold. He had a successful Laning phase and he managed to get many kills through the map. He was supposed to buy The Maw of Malmortious right out of the bat and finish constructing the Guardian Angel but he guessed he wouldn't need to buy them here in his dream and he was sure no one sold those items.

Jayce did found some foreign items. These were small representations of the items he had at the time: A Youmuu's Ghostblade, the Muramana, The Black Cleaver and the Mortal Reminder. He wasn't sure why but it seemed like Badger never bought any sort of boots... Well, he was the kind of summoner who preferred to play the offensive. Although he did plan to buy some defensive items, in the end, the usage of boots was crucial in the game... Then again, Jayce did have a lot of mobility thanks to the constant speed-ups of his kit.

And for last but not least important, Jayce found a peculiar object he was gifted before the match. He was given this strange object by someone quite peculiar, even for the standards of the Institute of War. A few minutes before the match, Vel'Koz came and told him the experiment was successful. Jayce had always wondered if there was truly no use for the Void aside from being a corruptive energy that threatened the world of Runeterra. He had spent sleepless nights trying to figure out a way to manipulate the energy of the Void in some productive way.

His experiments always ended up the same way: In failures. The Void was simply uncontrollable and every time Jayce tried to experiment with it, the Void would consume any foreign energy that tried to interact with it. After a few failures and explosions, Jayce was ready to give up and forget about the whole matter... But hope came in the most unexpected way. One day, Caitlyn appeared in front of his room... Accompanied by The Eye of the Void. Jayce didn't know what was more shocking, the fact that Caitlyn finally visited him or the fact that she seemed completely fine with Vel'Koz's presence... Even happy...

All Jayce's worries disappeared when the monster spoke... He had come to help him in his research. Jayce was sure the only way to manipulate the Void was to have a monster guide him through the unknown. He never guessed Vel'Koz would agree to even discuss theories and design plans... But after a while, Jayce realized the voidling was just like him. Just another nerd trying to look for answers.

The fruit of such alliance was the small sphere in his hands. Vel'Koz had told him he was finally able to synthesize a material strong enough to hold the corruptive energy of the Void. An alloy created by mixing several materials and few shards found on the Crystal Scar. The result was this small transparent sphere that had a tiny black hole at the center. Several purple rays would dance around the sphere and would also react to any stimulus, creating peculiar patterns around the circumference... This was a 'Voidling Core'. An unlimited source of power that could be used to nourish with energy any device.

Jayce grinned as he studied the sphere. He had designed the artifact and the elements needed to hold such horrific power... Of course, everything was theory and blueprints... He never guessed the voidling would create such marvelous thing using his designs.

"Truly a genius... I suppose..." Jayce muttered while he played with the sphere.

"Pardon me?" Jayce jumped in his chair, surprised that the same girl managed to surprise him again... He should try not to lose himself in his thoughts. Especially in this sort of strange environment. "I have come to take your order again."

"Uh... I think it is too soon for me to decide..."

"Too soon? You came here at noon... It's already nighttime..." The girl said pointing at the window.

Jayce left his mouth wide open once he realized the girl was right. Had he really lost himself so much he didn't even realize the passage of time? It was possible. It had happened in the past and he was ashamed to admit it... But then again, this was a dream and time could be inconsistent in this sort of situation. No use crying over spilled milk. He decided to indulge himself in the creation of his mind.

"Well... Then I guess I will order the specialty of the day!"

"I see..." The girl said writing down the order "Would you like to pay now or later?"

"I guess I will pay now..." That way, he could finish his meal and escape without attracting more attention, he nodded to his plan and took out a few coins from the bag.

"We only accept Valis," The girl said quickly.

"Uh... Valis? What the hell is a Valis?" The girl gave him a cold glare "I am being serious here! What is a Valis?"

"What is the problem here, huh?" Another voice said. it was that huge woman again. "Our dear customer isn't causing any trouble, huh?" Jayce could taste the warning in her words.

"He doesn't have Valis, Mama Mia" The girl answered "He only has this gold coins," She picked one of the coins and gave it to Mama Mia."

"Let's see here..." Mama Mia said, studying the coin "Hmm... Wow! This has to be the purest gold coin I have ever seen in my life! Most of the coins nowadays have lots of impurities and can't be trusted. Although the Valis is safer to use, I can tell this single coin can cost several hundreds of Valis!"

"F-For real?" Jayce asked in disbelief.

"Of course! If it comes to materials, you can always trust a dwarf's word" Mama Mia said, hitting her chest "You can eat the specialty of the day for four straight days with this baby!"

"Well... Then I guess I can pay that much..." Jayce said giving Mama Mia the coin.

"He, He! Thank you for your patronage! But I would suggest you change the coins at the guild! I know my stuff but others wouldn't be able to tell the differences... And if they can, they would most likely lie in order to take your gold." Mama Mia said with a smile.

"The... Guild?"

"Oh, boy! For someone with a lot of money, you aren't exactly bright, huh? Ryuu, be a dear and take him to the guild tomorrow. We must treasure important customers like him."

"I don't want to be a nuisance..." Jayce wasn't exactly fond with owning favors... And he didn't really want to be near this Ryuu girl.

"Nonsense! You already paid for the service!" Mama Mia said with a wide smile "I will bring your food in a while! Enjoy your stay!" And with that, Mama Mia left.

Jayce was once again alone with this Ryuu girl. The waitress kept staring at Jayce with her cold eyes, but the Piltovian could see she was quite interested in his hammer and in the sphere on the table. Her eyes were not filled with wonder as one would expect, those were the eyes of a trained warrior. She was assessing both his weapons and skills, trying to find his weak points and strengths. Jayce simply returned the glare with the same intensity... His career as a champion had told him to never underestimated someone by their appearance. A sweet child like Annie had already deleted him several times in the past. After a while, Ryuu nodded and left to attend the new customers.

Jayce was finally able to breathe in relief. Despite his reputation as a playboy, Jayce was quite weak against women who didn't show any emotion at all. That was the main reason why he wasn't able to get anywhere with Caitlyn. She was quite good at hiding her emotions and that cold mask of hers was perfect. She would sometimes give Jayce hope but those advances would quickly disappear... Still, she was a wonderful woman.

With Ryuu gone, Jayce was able to study his surroundings. The customers had drastically changed. Instead of the normal citizen, the pub was now full of warriors. Men and women cladded in armor with weapons by their side, other anthropomorphic creatures, and humans with animal traits. They were extremely different from the common folk and Jayce could guess those difference were incredibly deep. The mood hadn't changed that much and he could see the waitress weren't intimidated by the muscles, the loud voices, and the weapons. In fact, they seemed quite comfortable and Jayce could imagine why.

"Your food is here!" Jayce thanked Nashor it was a different girl this time, a girl with cat ears and a tail. "Mama Mia says she used her special touch so you should enjoy your food, Nyaah!"

"I... I see... I will..." Jayce wondered why did she 'nyaah' at the end. But as a man, he knew there were things he would rather ignore for his own safety... Especially if this was a dream fabricated by his brain. He really didn't want to find out he was actually someone who loved animal ears... Vi would never let him live that once down... Or even worse! What if Ahri found out?!

He thanked the waitress and began eating the food. A huge plate filled with spaghetti and a roasted fish he hadn't seen in his entire life... But of course, he was used to eating strange things. He once visited the Freljord and to date, Jayce still ignores what was that strange meat he was given at the pub... It was delicious but it wasn't like anything he had tasted before... The fish was soft and quite delicious so he decided to shrug his shoulders and enjoy the meal.

And then...

"The clients who made a reservation have arrived!"

Suddenly, the pub was filled with whispers. The customers forgot about their food and focused on the newcomers... Even Jayce had to admit those were remarkable individuals: Two tanned beauties that seemed out of one of the books found in the Kumungu Jungle. A silver haired young man with wolf ears and a tail. An older woman with green hair and ears similar to Ryuu's. A short old man wearing heavy armor. Another long-eared child with orange hair and beautiful eyes. A young kid whose eyes could only belong to an experienced warrior and a blond beauty with golden eyes followed by a red-haired woman.

"Have you seen her? She is a beauty!"

"Shut up! Can't you see the emblem?!"

"So they are the famous Loki Familia, huh? Those who kill giants and hunt powerful monsters on the lower levels."

The group took a table at the center of the pub and began celebrating and cheering. It seemed like they belonged to a different dimension in comparison with the other warriors in the pub. Even Jayce could tell they were strong, even for the standards of the League of Legends... But there was one individual who stood among them. She was easily ignored thanks to the remarkable features of the others but there was something about her that made her especial. It was the red-haired woman who was wearing quite the scandalous outfit. Despite her frail complexion, Jayce could feel she was somehow above everyone else in the pub. Something he had met during his days at the League.

Something he had learned to fear and respect... Although he wasn't sure what.

For a brief moment, his eyes met hers... He couldn't explain what it was but there was something captivating in her aura. She was here but she wasn't at the same time. Jayce could see her but he couldn't at the same time. He knew she was looking at him but not at the same time... Quite mysterious indeed.

"I think is time for Aiz to tell us what happened the other day!" The silver-haired man suddenly yelled.

"The other day?" The girl named Aiz asked in confusion.

"You know what I'm talking about! That time when a minotaur escaped and wandered on the dungeon!" He said getting close to Aiz "You killed the last one on the fifth floor! Remember? Do you remember that tomato idiot who couldn't do a thing but shiver like the thrash he was, huh?" Jayce wasn't sure why but that guy pissed him off "That rookie adventurer was cornered by the minotaur and he began to cry! You came and finished the job... And you know what the rookie did? He ran away from Aiz, screaming as if he had seen a more terrifying monster!" He laughed "He ended up bathed in the disgusting blood of the minotaur and looking like a tomato! What a pathetic idiot!"

"It is enough, Bete!" The older woman with green hair scolded "It was our fault the monster escaped... In fact, we are lucky Aiz managed to found and kill the minotaur before there were victims. As members of the Loki Familia, it is a complete disgrace we failed to complete our duties!"

"What's so bad about calling him trash, Riviera?" Bete groaned, slamming his fist on the table "Trash will always be trash and there is nothing that can be done about that! They should just learn their place and bow before the strong! Don't you agree with me, Aiz? I am sure you wouldn't want trash like him by your side! Even if he were to confess his love for you, you would definitely reject him! A tomato idiot like him can't even be compared with you! There is no way a weakling like him can stand by the side of the Sword Princess, Aiz Walle-"

It was silent.

Jayce knew that much. The once lively room was completely silent. Not that it mattered to him anyways, he had more pressing matters to attend... And that included his rage. Childhood was never easy for Jayce. Before he was found by the Giopara, he had to endure the constant mockery of the other children. His unique way of acting would always be a problem among those who couldn't understand his genius... Even after joining his equals, he always felt the stares on his back. The jealousy, the hatred, the anger. He, who was a nobody, suddenly among the elite. Even if his brilliance was outstanding, he was never allowed to forget where he came from... So that's why he couldn't stand those words. He didn't know the whole story but apparently, that group was responsible for the attack of a minotaur. That Bete failed to fulfill his role and a young and inexperienced child had to suffer due to his ignorance... And he dared to call him trash! The nerve he had! The audacity! The arrogance!

Jayce was a Piltovian. A scientist with knowledge... But he was also given duty and responsibilities. A single phrase still lives in his memory... The only thing he wished to remember from his childhood. Those words defined who he was and who he wanted to be... And that was why he was called 'The Defender of Tomorrow.

 _'Strong men protect themselves. But the strongest protects everyone else_ '

Jayce could feel it in his veins. The fury, the anger, his inner wishes... But then again, none of these was his business. Even if he wanted to intervene, he had no connection with the act. This wasn't Piltover so he had to be extremely careful with his actions and choices... Something Caitlyn had taught him a long time ago...

...

Now that he thinks about it... It's quiet... Why is it quiet all of a sudden?

...

Oh...

That explains everything...

In his rage, he had squeezed the Mercury Hammer... And now, the Mercury Cannon clacked with its usual blue glow. It wasn't that impressive after a few times... But then again, Jayce had finally understood something. He was completely sure his brain couldn't create such disgusting character as Bete... He went against everything Jayce believed... So that could only mean one thing...

This was not a dream... And this was not Runeterra...

Where was he?

Doesn't matter. Right now, he needed to get away. It seemed like these barbarians had never seen anything like the Mercury Hammer and Jayce feared they would react like monkeys watching the fire for the first time... They would like to touch and play with it, even if that meant breaking it... And Jayce was fairly sure there weren't spare parts for his hammer in this world.

He slowly got up from his table and walked towards the door. So far so good. They seemed enchanted by the Mercury Hammer but Jayce could feel something terrible was about to happen. He needed to get out before any of this troglodytes had the chance to even think about-

"Hey!" Too late, it seems "What's that thing you are holding, huh?" The worst possible scenario. Bete was the one who called Jayce and was currently in the way "Never seen a staff like that before. Where did you get it?" Jayce tried really hard not to look down on him. It was hard since this Bete fellow was shorter than him and the fact that Bete was hunched didn't help at all "I asked you a damn question! Answer, trash!"

"I don't want troubles..."

"Then answer the damn question, huh?" This was getting complicated, Jayce decided to ignore him and rush to the door "Where are you going?! Answer the damn question, you piece of pathetic trash!" Bete yelled grabbing the handle of the Hammer.

...

Well...

Jayce did tried...

He tried to avoid problems... But it seemed like troubles always looked for Jayce...

He looked at Bete: His eyes were wide open and he had this feral look on them. He looked at the Red-haired woman: She was simply looking at Jayce, waiting for his next move. He looked at Mama Mia: She was clearly begging him to not do it... But it was already too late.

"I'm sorry, Mom Mia" He mumbled while throwing a golden coin to her "I hope this can pay the damage."

"What are mumbling to yourself, you tra-?" Before Bete could finish, a sudden burst of light blinded him. He tried to get away but he was already flying through the window while a soaring pain extended around his cheek.

The Mercury Hammer was once again present. The customers couldn't really understand what just happened but they knew they should get out as soon as possible. The stranger was currently glaring at the whole Loki Familia while his strange weapon hummed and clacked every now and then. The tension was present in every member of the table. Even the always stoic Lady Riviera was looking at the stranger in shock. The amazon sisters were already standing up with their fist ready. The only one who seemed to be enjoying the whole mess was the goddess herself. Her always present smile only disturbed the customers even more, especially after the stranger had easily knocked one of the members of her Familia...

But...

"Behind you..." Was all Jayce heard the Red-haired woman whisper before his instincts took over. Thanks to his experience with assassins and the such, he was able to block the blow before it decapitated his head. But the force of the blow send him flying through the window, he grunted while he rolled over the floor before he could get up.

"You sure have guts for a trash!" Bete had somehow managed to kick him from behind "But this is where it ends! You will regret your stupidity!" A strange gale of wind began forming on his legs, Jayce could hear the wind howling around him. "Prepare to die, trash!" And Bete vanished in thin air.

Jayce knew his recklessness would cause him problems one day. Provoking an unknown enemy without knowing their true strength was idiotic... But it wasn't like he acted without a plan. From the very beginning, he knew the victory belonged to him. Because no matter how strong and fast this Bete was or the kind of magic he used. Hextech and Techmaturgy were created to counter magic in every way... And nobody did it better than Jayce himself.

The Lighting Field materialized from his armor. He didn't see him but Jayce knew Bete was there, and when he saw Bete's fallen form behind him knew his plan had worked. Maybe Jayce acted recklessly... But Bete was a complete idiot and underestimated the power of his enemy...

Bete struggled to get rid of the lighting in his body, but his magic seemed to not have any effect on the strange power. He managed to lift his angered eyes... But the stranger was gone... Instead, he watched as the others were focused on something above him. He tried to look up but it was already too late... The last thing he saw was a bright golden light before his face was buried beneath the floor.

"To the Skies!" The explosion lifted a curtain of dust and cracked the floor.

A lone figure stood over the fallen Bete. The light coming from his hammer and the lighting were the only things the adventures could see before the man turned around and left without saying a word... Nobody had the courage to follow him into the darkness... Nobody but a young boy with snowy white hair and crimson eyes... A rabbit, in the eyes of some.

"Wait!" The boy called as he tried to catch up with the man "Wait up!"

The man stopped and the boy crashed on his back, falling to the ground. The boy tried to get up but was stopped by the Mercury Cannon, the boy could only see the blue lighting soaring at the core of the staff and the determined eyes of the man.

"What do you want, child?" His voice was as cold as ice.

"I... I..." The boy stuttered. He was scared, he was really scared... But he was also tired of being scared, he was tired of being trash, he was tired of not being worth. "M-My name is Bell Cranel...! I am a level one novice adventurer! I am weak and hopeless and I know I can't do anything on my own...! And... And that's why I want... I beg you...! Please, teach me how to be strong!" Bell never looked away from the eyes of the man, not even when the light of the staff became even more bright.

"And why do you want to be strong?"

"Because... Because I want to stand by her side! I know her world and mine are completely different... And I also know it might be impossible... But even if it's just a little...! Even if only for a brief second...! I want to stand by her side proud of who I am...!" Bell knew his was a hopeless plea... But if this man could help him... He was willing to risk everything in this bet.

Bell waited but the man said nothing... The seconds passed and Bell began to fear the man would actually finish him... But suddenly, he heard something over the lighting of the staff... The man was laughing.

"You... You would risk your life... For a girl?! What kind of idiot does that for a girl?!" Bell could feel his face blushing, the man was blatantly making fun of his dream. Bell tried to say something but stopped when the man took away the staff and offered him a hand "You really are a brat! Fighting over a girl... I call that youth!"

"uh... Mister... And what do you fight for...?" Bell asked timidly while getting up.

"Me...? I fight for a brighter tomorrow." Bell finally got to see the man's face clearly. He kind of looked like his grandfather "With my eyes on the horizon, I never look back. With determined steps, I pave the way for I know I will never take the wrong path. Without fear, I make a stand knowing that our future will be bright... You told me your name, Bell Cranel. It is time to return the favor... I am Jayce and I am the Defender of Tomorrow!" Jayce said with a wide smile.

"T-Then...! You will help me get stronger!" Bell asked with wonder in his eyes.

"No"

"W-What?!"

"Boy... You want to become strong so you can save the princess... In short, you want to become a hero... And that is something you will have to prove you are worth for!"

"H-How?"

"Let's see... I know! If you managed to kill One hundred monsters, I will personally train you!"

"F-For real!?"

"Yes! Now go and prove your might!"

"I-I will!" Bell exclaimed excited before he dashed towards the tower.

Jayce watched him disappear... And sighed relieved once he couldn't see him.

"I thought he would never leave..." He muttered, scratching his head "I'm sorry, kid... But there are no easy ways if you want to be a hero... And that is a journey you will have to do by yourself. Until we meet again, Bell Cranel" Jayce said before he walked in the opposite direction "Although... Being a hero, huh? Always thought there was nobody left with that kind of childish dream... But I suppose this kind of world does need that sort of hope... Bell Cranel..." Jayce smiled, remembering how he used to dream like that when he was young "You will be a wonderful hero, Bell Cranel."

And the Defender of Tomorrow disappeared in the darkness of Orario.


	2. Chapter 2 - GOD IS Cute?

**II**

 **GOD. IS... Cute?**

The sun slowly rose over the city of Orario, awaking the good citizens of the city with its brilliance. But while the normal denizens were getting ready for their daily lives, a great crowd could be seen walking towards the gigantic tower in the center of the town. This peculiar parade of individuals included the so-called Adventurers: The only humans capable of surviving the dangers inside of the darkness. Many always wondered why would they do it every day. What was the point of risking your life fighting against hideous creatures? Sure, no one could deny the rewards of such quest... But the adventures had a variety of objectives. Some looked for fortune, others simply didn't have a choice. Some wanted to prove themselves while others enjoyed the always present massacre of hundreds of monsters. And a few of them believed the answers to the great mysteries lied in the depths of Babel Tower.

But there was one peculiar child... He was careless and unreliable, many of the senior Adventurers believed he was not fit for such life as they knew the kind of dark world behind the walls of the dungeon. He was pure and naive, inexperienced and sometimes clumsy. The kind of child you see around the safe areas in the world, living a quiet life as a farmer and enjoying his days alongside his family... But the reality was different because the youth wanted to taint his hands with the blood of the monsters. He wanted to conquer the impossible dungeon and acquire the ultimate glory... Because he accepted the blessing of the goddess.

Becuase he wanted to become a hero.

But the world was merciless and it didn't accept that kind of light. The world was ugly and filled with forces capable of breaking the strongest will... He was alone and had no one to guide him. Even though he was surrounded by extraordinary Adventurers, none of them was the ideal he was chasing after. He wanted to follow after a brilliant being that always looked towards the light. Someone capable of changing the world with a single action. Someone resolved to do any sacrifice for the well-being of the others...

And when the desperation was about to subdue his will... The hero appeared.

The Defender of Tomorrow.

"Fuck!" Jayce screamed, unable to straighten his back "Shit! This is the last time I sleep outdoors!" This was familiar, indeed. Jayce had experienced this sort of pain many times through his life. Like when he spent a complete week working on a new invention or when Vi beat the living shit out of him for 'accidentally' hugging her. He was used to the pain as his career as a champion meant fighting and suffering injuries every single day, but he never came to terms with back pains. It made him feel old.

He breathed slowly, preparing himself for what was about to happen. He closed his eyes and forced his body, he grunted in pain when his spine cracked due to the sudden movement. He remained like that for a few seconds before he slowly bent his back again. He knew he was being extremely rough with his body but he didn't know another way to deal with such inconvenience... Well, there were actually a few ways he could have used to avoid this situation. Like, not beating Bete or destroying the 'Hostess of Fertility'. Maybe the pub was also an inn and he just wasted his opportunity to sleep in a warm bed instead of sleeping in the first corner he saw.

He could have always looked for another place... But the chances of being attacked were high. Especially after he showed the true capabilities of his Mercury hammer.

At this point, Jayce knew he couldn't trust anyone in this strange new world. Maybe there were a few respectable individuals out there but he was not going to gamble his life looking for them... Or the safety of his equipment. His armor was incredibly resistant but it wasn't like he could just replace it if it had an issue... Hell, even repairing the damage would be impossible! In this world, technology was not a popular field, and Jayce was fairly sure these troglodytes didn't even know the meaning of 'Progress'. Most of the structures were old-fashioned and ineffective. He even feared to imagine the situation with medicine and sanity! Then again, there should be healing magic so that was a problem he could forget about... But being clean was important!

He sighed and watched the crowd heading towards the tower... Whatever they were doing over there, Jayce didn't want anything to do with them. Returning home was the priority... And as much as he hated to admit it, he needed information... And that meant talking to the citizens of this city... Great.

"Well, no point crying over spilled milk!" He said with optimism "I suppose I could always disguise myself if I have to interact with these brutes! Yesterday is a memory but the tomorrow is in my hands! Today is going to be great!" He claimed as the Mercury Hammer hummed with anticipation.

And then, his stomach growled loudly.

...

"Right... Breakfast..." Jayce muttered to himself.

* * *

Words cannot describe the horrific experience. The terror, the anger, the desperation, the helplessness and the frustration. Everything Jayce had been bottling inside his soul suddenly exploded when he realized he simply had no hope. There was no answer and no way to improve his situation... With a single tear falling from his eye, he smiled bitterly... Because he was hungry and he couldn't buy anything with the gold he had in his bag.

"Ah... Ryuu promised she would guide me to the guild so I can change my gold for Valis..." He whispered in defeat "But I can no longer show my face over there... I wish I could have gropped Caitlyn just once... Goodbye, cruel world..." And the Hero of Tomorrow died of starvation in the middle of the streets.

...

...

"Hey, boy! What are you doing there? Are you playing a game or something?"

Jayce opened his eyes slowly, feeling a soft hand caressing his hair. There was a peculiar scent on the air. It was familiar to him, something he had almost forgotten after all these years. A warm sensation that made him feel safe and protected from the dangers of the world... Something he used to long for when he was being trained by the Giopara.

A mother.

Jayce raised his head and studied the strange being in front of him. She was short, incredibly short. She had a childish face and naive eyes. Long black hair braided in twin-tails and a simple and cheap white one-piece was all she was wearing... Jayce was sure this creature couldn't be anything else but a child... And yet... Her front side was even bigger than many women he had met in his life.

How curious.

"Come on, child!" Jayce almost laughed, a child calling a grown-up man like him a 'child' "Get up! Can't you see you are in the middle of the streets?"

"Uh... Yes, I can see that." Jayce slowly rose from the ground "I'm sorry. I was just feeling a bit weak."

"I can imagine! A guy your size sure needs lots of food!" The girl answered patting his arm "How about I give you something delicious and cheap?"

"I would like to accept... But I don't have any Valis..." Jayce admitted embarrassed.

"How come? You look like a first-class Adventurer, child!"

"I will admit I had my own share of adventures in the past but I am not an Adventurer..."

"Uh? You don't go to the dungeon?"

"The dungeon? What is 'The dungeon'?"

"Over there! Can you see that big tower?" The girl said pointing at the distance "Below Babel lies the dungeon, A complex labyrinth where the monsters are born and dwell. It is not know how it was created or the exact nature of it... But if there is something we know is that all the answers lie inside of the dungeon."

"What? 'All the answers'? How can you be so sure?"

"I don't know!" She answered with a bright smile "I haven't entered the dungeon myself so I ignore if the rumors as true or not... But the children believe there is something calling for them deep in the dungeon. Our job is to simply watch over them and guide them if needed."

"What... What do you mean with 'our job'?" Jayce felt something storming in his heart.

"Now that I think about it... I can't sense any Falna in you." The girl commented thoughtful "You don't have a Familia? That's strange... I know a few weirdos who would definitely fight over someone like you..."

"What do you mean?! Falna?! Familia?! You are saying a bunch of things that don't make any sense!"

"That's weird... I thought everyone in this world knew about the gods and our mission in this realm."

...

...

What?

"G-Gods? You mean actual gods? Beings with impossible powers... That kind of gods?"

"Yes! Although all of us decided to seal our powers in order to live among humans."

"You... You are a god?!"

"That is correct, child!" She exclaimed with a proud smile "I am Hestia, Goddess of the Hestia Familia! A pleasure to make your acquaintance!"

...

...

Runeterra was extremely big and unpredictable. The denizens of such world had learned nothing was set in stone in that mean and rash realm. After the Rune Wars, many horrors had been discovered in the deepest and hidden corners of Runeterra. And gods were not an exception: Astral objects such as the Sun and the Moon given human bodies, Ancient Shuriman ascendants with forgotten powers, Cosmic entities enslaved by ancient magic, Angelic beings born in a kingdom above the clouds, Celestial saints that came to the earthly realm in order to aid and protect, and even the specters of the Shadow Isles and the horrors of the Void were among the so-called 'Gods' Jayce had the pleasure to meet at the League of Legends.

All these incredible and impossible individuals were tied to the will of the powerful magicians known as 'Summoners', and fought on the Fields of Justice for the cause of every City-State in Valoran... Jayce himself was considered a powerful and deadly counter for many of these impossible beings. He couldn't count the times he had destroyed Xerath with a single shot or how Aurelion Sol had fallen in front of his hammer... For Jayce, gods were rivals. The last frontier Piltover sought to overcome. Hextech and Techmaturgy were good against normal magic... But those arts did not stand a chance against the impossible powers in Runeterra.

If only Piltover could study a World Rune...

Jayce couldn't simply picture this girl as someone with the same amount of power as Kayle or Morgana. Even Syndra looked more imposing than her... But then again, Annie and Taliyah had defeated all these gods of the League of Legends despite being among the youngest members.

So how does one approach this problem? The answer is simple: With science!

"So you are a god, right?" Jayce asked examining Hestia.

"Y-yes... I am a goddess..." Hestia answered, taken aback by the sudden change of mood in Jayce.

"And you give humans something called 'Falna'?

"Correct... It is the grace of the heavens."

"Humans given 'Falna' are expected to join the god and create a 'Familia'?

"Of Course! Although I heard there are some children that abandoned their 'Familia' for various reasons... I heard that many members of the Freya Familia left because-"

"I suppose there has to be something for the adventurers if they join a certain 'Familia'." Jayce interrupted Hestia "What is it? Does it have anything to do with 'Falna'?"

"Wha... Of course it has to do with the Falna! As the Adventurers progress and defeat monsters in the dungeon, they gain 'Exilia' to raise their level and grow stronger!"

"Wait... Level? Adventurers have levels?"

"Yes! But-!"

"How many levels?"

"How many...?! I am not sure! I think the highest level in Orario is seven but at that point, it is extremely hard to-" Jayce didn't hear anything else.

Interesting... Levels, huh? The system used by the gods sounded miraculously like the experience system used by the Summoners during matches. Although he wasn't sure if the mechanics could be comparable, a level seven didn't sound that impressive. Yes, they did have their Ultimate ability and a few ability points but only a handful of champions in the League had that amazing power-spike with only seven levels. Then again, items could mean a great difference...

So according to this goddess, gods allowed humans to surpass their limits thanks to this 'Falna' and achieve new heights and powers. He was extremely curious about this peculiar power but he wasn't going to join any god just yet. There were a few things he wanted to investigate on his own. The technology was not that developed so maybe there was some sort of controversy with exploring unknown fields without the help of the gods. He still lacked the basic information and he had no idea if the gods could be trusted. Maybe the denizens of this world viewed the gods as merciful and righteous beings... But in Runeterra, Gods were killed every day.

But he had to admit... This was an eventful day.

"-And then, Bell comes home late at night saying he met a Hero or something like that! But I am sure he was chasing that Aiz Walletastettin or something like that! He is a good child and evil women can easily abuse him so I told him I was going to protect him from her wretched claws and-" Hestia continued her rant.

"I see... That is interesting, Lady Hestia. But I am afraid I have to leave now" Jayce interrupted, giving Hestia a court bow "I still have to find the guild so I can continue my investigation but I am extremely grateful for the information you provided... Thank you for your 'Contribution'" He grinned at his joke.

"You are leaving? Well... I suppose I can't stop you if there is something you must do... But I can always help you!" She said giving Jayce an unknown piece of bread "This one is on the house!"

"What is this?"

"A Jagamarukun!" Hestia explained with a smile "If you ever feel hungry, come and visit me!"

"I see... Thank you, Lady Hestia." Jayce said before he turned around and left. The Jagamarukun was soft, warm and sweet. It had a nostalgic flavor. "A goddess, huh? How mysterious... I guess this world might be worth exploring while I find a way to return home." He stopped and stared at the tower of Babel "First: I need a workshop. I can already tell I am not supposed to be in this world and I am afraid not many gods would agree with my points of view so a safe space where I can conduct my experiments is needed... Then again, I don't know where is the guild... Maybe I can ask Lady Hestia-"

"That is my job." Said a voice behind him. Jayce jumped when he realized Ryuu was behind him "I've been looking for you the whole morning"

"How do you do it?! How do you manage to sneak on me, huh?!" Jayce asked exasperatedly.

"I don't sneak on you. You simply don't pay attention to your surroundings." Ryuu explained coldly.

"You... You do hate me, huh?"

"Why would I hate you, Mister Jayce? You only started a bar fight at the Hostess of Fertility. Destroyed the window and the street in front of the pub and made me wake up early so I could guide you to the guild... But you were nowhere to be seen."

"Oh... I... I'm sorry..." Jayce apologized scratching his head "Also... You know, what did Mama Mia say?"

"She is going to punch you once you are back"

"But...! But I paid for the damage...!"

"Nobody fights in front of Mama Mia." Ryuu said turning around and walking away "Now, follow me. I will take you to the guild and then, you will escort me to the Hostess of Fertility so you can apologize to Mama Mia and the other girls." Jayce tried to argue but he realized Ryuu was right. He sighed in defeat and followed after Ryuu. "And you are right, Mister Jayce. You are the kind of man I would rather avoid. Reckless, arrogant and foolish to some extent..." Jayce cringed at her words "But after the incident, I also realized you are a noble and proud man. The Adventurer you defeated is known as Bete Loga, one of the strongest members of the Loki Familia. Not many would defy his words... But you did, and I realized you were considerably weaker than him... But you outwitted him..." Ryuu suddenly turned around and did something Jayce thought was impossible for her: She smiled "That was really cool, Defender of Tomorrow."

"You... You can be quite cute when you want, you know."

"Don't get used to it. It is something that only happens every century..."

"What is that supposed to mean?! Are you a goddess or something like that?!

"I am an elf."

"Wait... What is an elf?"

* * *

"Reckless, arrogant, foolish... And now, filthy rich" Ryuu commented with the coldest glare Jayce had ever seen in his life "You are disgusting, Mister Jayce."

"That's not fair! How was I supposed to know my gold coins were that valuable?!" Jayce grunted, struggling to carry the huge bag of Valis with both of his hands.

"I can't accept it... Why would the gods favor a womanizer such as yourself?" Ryuu lamented with a monotone voice. "Which hideous succubus did you seduced to have this fortune?"

"I am not a wo...! I don't even know what a succubus is!"

"You didn't deny you are a womanizer."

"Shut up!"

If Jayce was honest with himself, he was also concerned with his luck. Mama Mia did say the gold coins he carried were of a rare purity, extremely valuable for those who had experience with the metal. But he never guessed they were worth dying for. The receptionist that assisted him, Misha Flott, almost begged him to give her more coins. She claimed those coins were made of the purest gold she had ever seen in her life. Few were the drops found by the adventures that were in the same league as Jayce's gold coins. As a result, the other adventures assaulted Jayce with hundreds of question. In the end, Ryuu had to help him escape... But she clearly wanted to let him be eaten by the mob of treasure-starved Adventurers.

"Look, Ryuu. I am sorry, okay?" Jayce began, placing the huge bag of Valis on a table in front of a cafe "It wasn't my intention... I don't even know why you are angry at me but I will apologize. I'm sorry" Ryuu simply stared at him "Will it help if I say I will pay for anything you want?"

"I will be back in a second," Ryuu said briefly before she entered the cafe.

"Girls in this world are impossible..." Jayce huffed, taking a seat at the table "I can't really tell what she is thinking... Well, at least Lady Hestia wasn't that insufferable so I guess Goddesses do act with decor and elegance."

"That midget an elegant goddess? That sure is a joke!"

Jayce was paralyzed when he recognized the voice. He slowly turned around and saw the same woman from the pub. She was once again wearing that scandalous outfit and also had the same smile on her face. He also recognized the girl known as Aiz, standing by the side of the redhead. Jayce and Aiz looked at each other for a while... And a single thought crossed their minds. The Mercury Hammer was already cackling in his hands while the girl had her sword ready. The pedestrians, attracted by the sound of the Mercury Hammer, watched the whole situation with curiosity. Some were even excited about the girl Known as Aiz while some others were confused with Jayce's appearance... Once the intentions of the Sword Princess and the stranger were clear, the crowd suddenly began running away. Jayce glared at the girl, trying to find a way out of this situation. His fight against Bete had told him Adventurers were stronger than most of the human champions.

Jayce glared at the girl, trying to find a way out of this situation but found none, maybe another champion would have been able to escape or even match the strength of the Adventurers. Maybe magicians and assassins such as Syndra or Zed could eventually defeat them in a short battle but Jayce feared the adventurers had the stamina advantage and other humans would most likely be overpowered by raw strength. He wasn't sure about non-human champions but maybe the ascendant and the specters would be victorious... Those were theories and didn't actually help Jayce right now. He defeated Bete out of pure luck. The Adventurer wasn't aware of Jayce's superior equipment... But the champion was sure the same trick was not going to work twice. That Aiz girl was also studying his armor and hammer, looking for a weak spot with the little knowledge she had...

This was going to be a tough battle...

"AIZ-TAN!" The redhead yelled, grabbing the girl by the chest from behind "You are worried about me?! I always knew our love was re...!" The red-head was suddenly flung away by a powerful punch to her stomach, she landed face first on the ground.

Jayce watched the whole scene, unable to tell if he was supposed to laugh or something else. Aiz simply glared at the fallen body of the redhead before she sheathed her sword and sat at Jayce's table.

"Stupid Loki..." Jayce heard her mutter.

Jayce was about to say something but decided to just remain quiet. This world was certainly strange and he definitely didn't want to get involved in their insanity. Not that Runeterra wasn't a pot of madness but that was his home and at leats had some sense for him... He breathed carefully and lowered the Mercury Hammer. He inspected the body of the redhead before he approached her body, he watched if Aiz did something to stop him but the Sword Princess remained where she was... Although, he did notice she was carefully assessing his every move. The first thing Jayce did was shake the redhead slightly, she grunted and mumbled something but remained unmoving. He huffed and carefully took her in his arms. Now that he had a closer look, her aura was the same as Hestia's. The same mysterious and captivating feeling... This was a goddess.

"You are quite bold for a child..." The goddess muttered with a smile "Not many would touch me the way you do."

"I just wanted to see if you were okay. I apologize if I insulted you in any way." Jayce explained helping her up.

"Ah! Don't worry about it! This is just the way Aiz-Tan says she loves me!" The goddess explained with a smile "And besides, I didn't say I disliked your touch..." She whispered so only Jayce could hear her.

Jayce felt a shudder in her neck but didn't show it. Her words and actions didn't match her aura so Jayce could guess she was hiding something. Gods from Runeterra were either merciless like Xerath or passionate like Nagakabouros. The problem with this world was that Gods and Goddesses looked just like any normal human. Sure they had some differences but their physical appearance wasn't unnatural. In Jayce's opinion, the goddesses he had met so far were both curious and beautiful... A deceiving tactics to gain confidence.

Either way, he had some business with this goddess and this was a good way to deal with her... And she was bound to have good info on her.

"Allow me to introduce ourselves!" The redhead said, taking a seat beside Jayce "This over here is Aiz Wallenstein, the Sword Princess. A first class Adventurer and one of the strongest members inside of the Loki Familia..." The girl nodded briefly. "And I am... Well... I think you already know who I am." She said with a grin.

"You are Loki, the Goddess of the Loki Familia."

"Correct! You are absolutely correct...! Now comes the fun part!" Loki said as her grin became more dangerous "Who are you, huh?"

"My name is Jayce, the Defender of Tomorrow."

"I suppose that is correct but it isn't the answer I was looking for... You see, I've never seen a weapon like yours in my entire life" She said pointing at the Mercury Hammer "And this armor of yours is quite... Seductive." Loki said while her fingers traced Jayce's clothes. "You are not and adventurer since I can't feel any Falna coming for you... And yet, you defeated Bete with seemingly ease! There is no magic inside of your body but you can use powers beyond my comprehension" Loki smiled and whispered in Jayce's ear "Who are you, huh?"

What a predicament. On one hand: Jayce did want to tell Loki everything. He was sure the Goddess was quite mischevious and that made her the most trustworthy individual in this world. She would definitely help Jayce if there was something for her. On the other: He still ignored many crucial details about this world. And aside from his Mercury Hammer, he couldn't really give anything as an offer. Sure, he possessed tons of knowledge that would improve the lifestyle of the normal citizen or even boost the abilities of the Adventurers... But to do so, he needed materials to re-create every Hextech device he had stored in his mind... And that would be almost impossible considering the current level of technology of this world. Not that he couldn't do it but it would certainly take a while...

He could lose everything for nothing.

"I see you are not so sure about this, huh?" Loki commented, feeling the conflict inside Jayce's mind "How about we make a bet? You are powerful and I think you are dying to test your skills against the warriors of this world..." That was technically true, although Jayce only wanted data for his experiments "So let's do this: You will have a sparring session against Aiz-tan right now. Nothing complicated, just a test of skills and strength with no magic involved since you can't use it. If you win, I will tell you anything you want. If Aiz wins, you will join my Familia. How about that?"

That... That was definitely a trap. Loki knew Jayce's victory over Bete was pure luck. Aiz had probably already designed a tactic against his equipment... Not that she needed to do it since Jayce had already discovered Adventurers were stronger than human champions. In a battle of skill, Jayce was sure he was going to lose... And Loki knew that... So that meant she could also answer anything Jayce asked her. She was the kind of Goddess who looked for secrets just for the sake of knowing them. She may have an answer for Jayce's situation and a way to return to Runeterra... So many possibilities... So much to lose and so much to win... So Jayce decided to do the only thing he could in this kind of situation. He gambled everything for nothing.

"Don't you think that is a bit unfair on the lady?" He answered with his condescending voice. It had the expected result. Aiz furrowed her brow in anger and Loki's smile widened. They were walking right into Jayce's trap "Let's make it more interesting: I know she won't stand a chance against my hammer... So let's use magic instead."

"You can't use magic," Aiz said with vice.

"Not the kind of magic you can understand, darling!" Jayce saw Aiz's right eye twitch in anger. "I bet I can defeat your strongest magic with my weakest power."

"And what's in for me, huh?" Loki intervened with a strange blush on her face.

"If I win, you will tell me anything I want... And if I lose, I will become your slave." Aiz widened her eyes in surprise but Loki only smiled more "I will obey your every wish and demand. I will tell you my secrets and my fears. I will be yours to do as you please.

The wind blew gently on the silent courtyard while Jayce waited for Loki's answer. Aiz was definitely shocked by his proposal but Loki remained the same: With her wide smile.

"And your weapon?"

"It will be yours."

"Your armor?"

"You can do as you please with it"

"And what if I want you to make more like them for me?"

"It will take some time but I will definitely create them for every member of your Familia."

"Deal" Loki finished, taking Jayce's hand and shaking it.

Jayce got up and walked to the empty part of the courtyard. He could see the curious faces of the common citizens peeking from their houses. He wondered why Ryuu was taking so long but that wasn't important... What really mattered was his experiment.

As he had promised, he left his Mercury Hammer with Loki and waited for Aiz to join him. The Sword Princess left her 'Desperate' with the goddess. She faced Jayce with her cold eyes and waited for him... Aiz knew this was an unfair match for the stranger. She was aware he had no magic talent so there was no way he could defeat her. Aiz may only be able to use a single Magic: 'Ariel', But she didn't know how someone with absolutely no magic could defeat her in a magic contest... Even though she knew these things, she couldn't shake the feeling she had already lost the match. She bit her lip and readied herself.

"Tempest"

The once calm winds began blowing with fury. Aiz could feel the gale forming in her palms as she focused everything she had... She wasn't really trying to hurt him... But he never stopped smiling. That arrogant smile pissed her off. He was looking down on her, on her strength, her powers, her sacrifice and everything she had done to stand where she was. For the first time in her life, Aiz called for the dark flames inside of her soul, the furious and dormant monster inside of her was awakened by her sudden bloodlust. Her eyes shone with an unusual glint and the wind exploded behind her.

She was ready... But she was not going to attack just yet. She was going to let him use anything he wanted. Aiz wanted to crush him completely. So she waited...

That was a mistake.

On the other hand, Jayce searched patiently for his secret weapon on his pockets. He wasn't sure why this Aiz girl was exuding such aggressive killing intent but that didn't matter right now... What mattered was his experiment. He still ignored the way magic in this world worked but he theorized it wasn't that different from Runeterra. Magic needed an anchor and a medium. Both being the Falna and the Adventurer... But even if this magic was different from Runeterra's, both shared one single similarity... They were energies... And he just happened to have the greatest magic predator in his pockets: The Void.

There was no loss for Jayce with this... Well, maybe there was but his earnings would be bigger than his losses. He either success in this test and gains the interest of the Goddess Or he loses and becomes her slave... Which is not that bad, if he thinks about it. If Aiz's magic is capable of overpowering the Void then that means there is a way to stop the corruption. If such magic exists then Jayce was going to do anything to get his hands on it and bring it back to Runeterra. Maybe it would take a few years, but by being close to the Goddess he was sure he would figure a way to return home with the magic to stop the Void. And while he waited, he could always satisfy the curiosity of the Goddess by introducing Hextech devices and Techmaturgy to Orario and improving the situation of both the citizens and the Adventurers as a result... Sure he would become a slave but it was by choice.

The Defender of Tomorrow always looked forward... His steps were sure and confident. The future was his to shape at will.

He finally felt the small Void Core and smiled. Aiz felt his confidence and unleashed the winds against him. Jayce waited patiently until the furious storm was over him... He then jumped backward and threw the sphere against the wall of winds and...

...

...

Nothing.

Aiz and Loki were completely flabbergasted by the result. Nothing. There was nothing in front of them. The furious wind Aiz had summoned with 'Ariel' was gone and there was no sign it was even summoned... Only a strange sphere was floating in the middle. A purple sphere.

"Hmm... Well, that's disappointing..." The girls heard Jayce mutter "Not even a second before the magic was corrupted and consumed by the Void Core... So that means the magic of this world is even weaker than Runeterra's... That's a shocker considering the Adventurers are stronger than champions."

"W-Wait! What just happened?!" Loki asked, approaching Jayce "I am sure Ariel hit that strange sphere... What happened to the magic?! There is not a single trace of it! What happened?!"

"Well... Aiz's magic was consumed by the Void" Jayce explained bluntly.

"Consumed? The Void? That doesn't make any sense! I am sure you can't use magic! How did you manage to vanish Aiz's magic in the blink of an eye?!"

"Hmm... I guess people who hadn't witnessed the power of the Void won't understand with just that. Alright. I will tell you this only because it is crucial to my story so let me begin with..." Suddenly, Jayce felt a chill "What is...?"

"Tempest!"

Once again, the furious storm formed around Aiz. The gales and winds roared in fury as Aiz clenched her teeth. Loki tried to speak but the girl couldn't hear the voice of her goddess. The black flames could no longer be appeased. Feeding on her wrath and anger, the winds grew stronger and more dangerous than before. The curious citizen screamed in horror when the sky changed from blue to a horrific black. The howling brought forth the storm, the thunder, and the lighting. Jayce watched in amazement as the winds collided against each other, morphing together into something that couldn't be compared with the previous spell... That attack would definitely destroy his body... He doubted his soul would even survive the strike. There would be nothing left.

"Aiz! Aiz, stop it!" He heard the Goddess scream desperately "Stop it, please!"

But it was too late...

The Sword Princess roared like a beast and unleashed the hell on them. Not caring that her Goddess was with her target... The terrible storm advanced destroying the floor and anything it touched. Jayce pushed Loki behind him and covered her with his body... This was his fault for taunting the Adventurer too much. He had brought this upon himself and now he was going to pay the price for his arrogance. The storm was finally upon him...

And then, the sphere shone again.

A purple glow extended all around the malevolent storm, the winds howled again but not like a dangerous beast. It was a desperate howl filled with fear and terror. Suddenly, a pillar of purple light erupted from the sphere and touched the sky... The winds stopped, the time remained still, the world turned gray and the silence swallowed the world. Loki looked left and right, unable to understand what just happened. She could see every object static in the space. She tried to move Jayce but he was an unmovable object... The only thing that made sense was the purple pillar of light in the middle of the static storm.

And then, like a whisper in the death of the night... She heard his voice...

 **\- I -**

 **\- SEE -**

 **\- YOU -**

A loud and ghastly laugh broke the silence and a wave of energy made her fall. The pillar of light exploded and Loki watched as some sort of black hole began swallowing the winds. At the end, the energy condensed in a single dot of white mist... And just like that, it vanished inside of the sphere.

Life returned to Orario once again.

The world had once again its colors. The sounds filled the environment... And there was not a single trace of the horrific winds summoned by Aiz. The sphere remained floating in the air before it fell to the ground quietly. Jayce was breathing slowly but Loki could feel his hectic heartbeat. Aiz was looking at the place where her wind and the sphere collided totally frozen in place, but Loki could see how her whole body twitched slightly... None of them had any idea of what just took place in front of them. There was no evidence of such phenomenon aside from the broken area when the winds touched the floor.

There was nothing.

"I am sorry for taking so long, Mister Jayce" Ryuu suddenly exited the cafe "I had this enjoyable beverage and I lost myself in my thoughts, I suggest you pay the owner for the service so we can go to..." She notices the visitors "Oh... I see you have met Goddess Loki and the Sword Princess. I hope you haven't committed any act you will regret la..." The elf finally realized nobody was paying attention to her and that they looked terrified for some reason "Uh... Did I miss something?"


	3. Chapter 3 - What the hell is a wrench?

**III**

 **What the hell is a wrench?**

As the young protege of the clan Giopara, Jayce had all the advantages a genius like him needed. He had access to the most exclusive materials and resources for his inventions. His blueprints were safely locked within the private vault of the Giopara, hidden even to the Piltovian government. His workshop was constantly guarded by trustworthy private forces owned by the Giopara. He was allowed to pick any house under the name of the Giopara as his residence and he was even asked how many servants he wanted in order to satisfy all his necessities... It is needless to say that Jayce accepted all the resources he could get and rejected all the commodities.

He bought his first house when he was sixteen, using the money he won in a contest. It was a humble one-story house located near the Headquarters of Piltover Police Force. Inside his house, only a single servant was allowed to live, an old woman to whom Jayce owned for taking care of him when he was a child... Of course, the truth was another. In reality, Jayce lived in his workshop. He had bought a small bed and he himself had installed the piping system for his bathroom. The house was a gift for the foster mother of Jayce. She lived the rest of her life there until she finally died six years later due to her old age. Some say she died with a smile on her face while Jayce waited by her side.

Years later, Jayce never forgot the valuable lessons from his foster mother and the knowledge of the Giopara. He was trained and taught what to do and how to react any problem he was bound to encounter in the course of his life. And now as an adult, Jayce was a man of incomparable charisma capable of getting whatever he wanted. Perhaps he was no longer in Runeterra but there was nothing impossible for the Defender of Tomorrow. He was a winner and he knew it.

"No," The old man said one last time before he kicked Jayce out of his workshop "I will not sell you any of my workshops! Those are exclusive for the members of my Familia! Now get out before I tear you pretty face apart!" The man finished slamming the door.

"There was no need to be so uncivilized!" Jayce said getting up and dusting his armor "Well... I suppose I won't be getting anywhere here."

After the whole incident with the Loki Familia, Jayce realized it was time to work. The world had suddenly turned aggressive and Jayce wasn't sure if he could deal with the enemies. Adventurers were stronger than champions and even though he had found a way to counter their magic, he wasn't sure if using the Void Core was a good idea. So he was resolved to do the best he was capable of: Create things.

Loki and Aiz had disappeared and Jayce hadn't seen or hear anything about the Loki Familia ever since... After being beaten up by Mama Mia, she listened to his problems and gave him the information he needed.

Apparently, not every Familia is focusing on exploring the dungeon. There are several gods that work in many fields, such as Medicine, industry, smithing and even government. In fact, it seemed like the Guild was founded by the first god that came to earth and the presiding god was the one keeping Babel in check.

Jayce only cared about the smithing and Industrial Familias. He guessed he would find a suitable place where he could work in peace if he joined any of those Familias... After a serious consideration, he was sure he didn't want anything to do with any god ever again. Maybe that Hestia would be a good option but until Jayce was sure there was no other way but to join a Familia, he was going to stay neutral. Besides, he was filthy rich thanks to his gold. How hard would it be to find and buy a respectable workshop from a Familia?

"Apparently, impossible" Ryuu commented while she drank a cup of tea "I can't believe you are so incompetent you can't even obtain a dirty and abandoned room."

"It wasn't my fault! I even offered ten times the value of the smaller workshop they had! I don't know what happened!"

"I know what happened," Ryuu said with conviction "I bet you watched the smiths doing their jobs and began criticizing them."

"I just wanted to improve the quality of their works! It is not my fault they can't see just how unproductive and blunt their work is!"

"I can't believe you actually made the god Goibniu mad. He is known for being one of the most strict yet caring gods around the world. Even though his Familia is small, every experienced Adventurer knows their works are among the best in Orario."

"I know! Even I could tell the quality of their equipment was top-notch! I simply wanted to help the improve their procedures. I know my way around the handling of materials. I read several theses back in Piltover where many scientists investigated the proper way to-"

"That is the problem, Mister Jayce" Ryuu interrupted "I can't deny you are smart... But you are on a completely different level in comparison with what we call 'Smart'. You speak with terms and other words I haven't even considered myself. That time when you spoke about 'Microscopic' beings causing the diseases in the world, I almost believed you were insane... You are smart, Mister Jayce. Probably even smarter than the Gods themselves... But this world is not ready for you. We have spent our lives alongside the gods. Living together and sharing experiences, joining forces and even fighting enemies as one... To achieve the life you speak of, we need to abandon the gods... And that is something we are not ready to do."

Jayce couldn't deny Ryuu's words. The story of Piltover wasn't as pretty as everyone thought. Back in the old days, Piltover was nothing but caravan conformed of magical inept exiles from the other City-States. In those days, Magical talent was the maximum requirement needed in order to fight in the wars. Those who didn't fill the criteria had three options: They could be trained as the front-line and die as meat-shields, work for the soldiers and spent the rest of their lives as slaves or leave to never come back. Several caravans of exiles moved through Valoran looking for a place to settle. The exiles from Ionia migrated to the nearest Isles and founded Bilgewater, this place was visited by rouge Noxian vessels transforming Bilgewater into a pirate hotspot. Others migrated near the Freljord and created a city with a great racial variety.

But despite their efforts, they simply couldn't fight against the rash and devious fauna of Valoran. Dragons, wyverns and several other predators attacked the town almost every day. Marauders from the Freljord plundered the city with no one to stop them. Noxian slavers kidnapped children and women alike in front of the men. Those were dark days, indeed.

During this time, the Master clans arose to the top with their own Goddess. The Gray Lady, The Gloriously Evolved.

Arvino, Cadwalder, Ferros, Giopara, Holloran, Kozari, Medarda, Sheanely, Brakio, Habsburgs and Morichi were the names of the families that began the great quest to protect those magical inept exiles. Guided by a mysterious feminine figure cloaked in gray, these men and women developed a new way to fight the merciless land of Valoran. Maybe they were unable to control magic but that didn't mean they couldn't use it. They went against everything the other nations had believed in. They twisted the very core of nature and destroyed the rules those magicians had crafted for centuries. The balance was broken and all of a sudden, Piltover became part of the strongest City-States in Runeterra... That was until the Rune Wars began again.

Jayce may be a man of the future but he always respected the past. He was sure the Piltovian history could very well repeat itself in this new world. Even though the society was mostly ruled by the Adventurers and Gods, he was sure those who rejected the system existed. Maybe somewhere in the alleys or in the dark corners of the city... As a man of science, there was nothing worse than seeing the work of his life being used as a tool of war... Jayce knew there was always a time to fight but he would rather surrender than destroy everything in a pointless conflict.

"Mister Jayce" Ryuu called shaking his arm "Do not lose yourself in your own world"

"Oh... I'm sorry" He apologized with a small smile.

"Apologizes are useless" Ryuu scolded "Anyways, I have to return to the Hostess of Fertility so I will not be able to help you any further... I do believe the last Familia to ask is the Hephaestus Familia... But I already know what is going to happen..."

"I know... Mama Mia said that Familia only lends workshops to their members..." Jayce sighed and massaged the temples of his head "And the dream dies here..."

"I suppose..." Ryuu agreed, finishing her tea "Anyways, I have to return to the Hostess of Fertility, Mister Jayce. Perhaps you were not able to find your objective today but tomorrow will be another day. Either way, I can tell you are seriously thinking about just how dangerous your presence in this world is... And as always, Mama Mia will always be waiting for you at the pub with delicious food."

"Oh! And what about you, Ryuu?" Jayce teased with a grin. Ryuu simply glared at him and left without saying a word. "He! I bet she likes me...! Then again, I didn't exactly come here to flirt with girls..."

"That's a shocker!" A loud voice said behind him "I always believed you were the perfect playboy created by Adonis in order to seduce all female Goddesses!" Jayce couldn't help but smile as he turned around to see Loki grinning at him "May I sit with you, handsome?"

"Wherever you want, baby" Jayce countered with a sly smirk "Never guessed you would be back so soon, honey. I remember you could barely walk after I was done with you."

"I like to push my limits, boy... And you are just the right size for me..."Loki whispered caressing Jayce's chin "I think I saw a good place on my way here where we can continue our little and fun-"

"Goddess!" Someone yelled in protest. "That sort of behavior is-"

"Now, now, Riveria! It was just a joke!" Loki laughed "But if you are interested I can show you-"

"Goddess!"

"I am sure we can do that later..." Jayce managed to say while he contained a grin "But before that... I see you brought quite the audience. Never guessed you were into that kind of thing, huh?" Behind Loki were standing the senior adventures Jayce saw at the bar that night "I think we haven't introduced ourselves properly. I am Jayce, the Defender of Tomorrow. Pleased to meet all of you."

"Likewise, Mister Jayce," The short and old man said bowing "I am Gareth Landrock, the Elgarm."

"Riveria Ljos Alf, the Nine hell, " The elf said glaring at Jayce.

"And I am Finn Deimne, the Braver, and Captain of the Loki Familia. And I have to admit I am a fan of your work, Defender of Tomorrow!" The young man said, offering Jayce his hand "The way you defeated Bete was a work of art. I would like to ask if it was a special magic or the ability of your equipment. I am also curious about your weapon and, if you are okay with that, I would be honored if I could...!"

"Take it easy, Finn!" Gareth said with a laugh "I know you are excited but let him speak first!"

"I honestly believe this is a waste of our time!" Riveria huffed "There is no way this man was able to defeat Aiz...!"

"But he did, Riviera! He defeated our powerful Sword Princess with a simple sphere..." All of a sudden, Loki was serious "Now... All of you take a seat. There are things we must discuss..." The Adventurers looked at each other, surprised by the sudden change in the mood but obeyed in the end "So as you promised... Who are you, huh?

"I guess I have no choice..." Jayce began with a sigh "Are you sure you want to know, Loki? There are things that are better left as mysteries... I had to learn that the hard way..."

"Perhaps..." Loki answered with a smile "Perhaps it would be for the best if I simply forget about you and the terrors I saw that day... But I am a god and I came to this realm looking for amusement. So far, I have been given so many wonderful and exciting experiences by my children. But you... You are something else. Ever since our eyes met that night, I can feel this familiar chill in my heart. Telling me to chase after you and the secrets you hide behind your facade... 'He knows things' or something like that... That is the Intuition of the Trickster from Heavens" Loki stared into Jayce's eyes "Tell me everything."

"If that's what you want..." Jayce said sighing "You told me when we met you couldn't feel any magic in me. I suppose every being born in this world is bound to have it even if their magic is minuscule, right?" Loki nodded "So with this new information and with my current situation... I think you already know the answer."

"You are not from this world," Loki answered, causing shock in the other Adventurers.

"That's correct," Jayce said with a smile.

"Wait... How can that be even possible?!" Riveria asked with disbelief "Only gods and spirits are capable of using such powerful magic and powers! There is now way a lowly human like you was able to do that! Not even elves can control that kind of magic!"

"That is also correct!" Jayce commented, causing Riveria to twitch in anger "I will admit I have absolutely no idea how I came to this world! I have a few theories but none of them actually make sense if I take into consideration the situation I was dealing with before I disappeared and appeared here... It's mysterious and it will require some time before I can properly answer that question." Riveria was not expecting that sort of answer so she remained quiet "Now, anything else you want to to know before I continue?" Jayce asked Gareth and Finn.

"Yes, I have one," Finn said raising his hand, "Loki said she couldn't sense any sort of magic in you. What does that mean? Even though normal citizens in this world are unable to use magic, they still have the potential to do so."

"Well... That is actually complicated to answer. The world I come from, Runeterra, is quite harsh and inhospitable. Back in the day, Magic ran wild and there was no way to control it. So most of the humans born in Runeterra were indeed able to use magic. But a thousand years before I was born, there was a conflict that shook the very foundation of Runeterra and left the magic veins of the world damaged forever. These were the first Rune Wars. From that point, magic users became less and less common until only a handful of privileged ones were able to use those arts. As a result, some countries began purging their cities from the magic inept individuals in order to remain pure... Nowadays, that sort of thing is no longer practiced in the civilized society."

"And what about the gods? Every world is bound to have a few..." Gareth asked this time around.

"Well..." Jayce looked like he didn't want to answer "I can say I have met a few of them before... But they are not as kind as the ones I have seen so far in this world..."

"Now, that's interesting!" Loki suddenly looked excited "Are the gods in your world not tired of the monotony of immortality? How do they have fun?!"

"Uh... Well, there is this goddess called Nagakabouros. She is a presiding Goddess of the oceans as is worshiped in many isles. I even met the priestess of her cult and I got to experience her blessings... Or so Illaoi said."

"Really? What happened?!"

"Well... She... Let's just say that..." Jayce didn't want to remember such encounter "She ripped my soul out of my body and proceeded to beat the living shit out of it, claiming that such barbaric action was part of an ancient and respected ceremony and test."

"Sounds like my kind of girl!" Loki comments while the Adventurers look at Jayce with horror "Any other god you have met?"

"I am not really sure if that guy can be considered a god... He used to be a Shuriman magician in his past life. He betrayed his king and usurped the position of the king in an important ceremony. As a result, he became and ascendant, immortal and conceited arcane magician. His name is Xerath."

"Wow... I know a few gods who would definitely do that... I think they actually did it. Anyways, what are his powers?"

"Well... He can vaporize you with a dangerous laser. He can vaporize you with a lightning from the skies. He can vaporize you with a sphere of pure energy... Oh! And he can vaporize you from across the globe!" Jayce finished with a smile. The other adventurers were flabbergasted but Loki kept smiling "I think there were others but I am not really sure if a cosmic dragon can be considered a god... He did create the stars and other celestial bodies... But he mostly acts like an arrogant jerk all the time!"

"Runeterra sounds like fun!" Loki laughed "I think we all would love to keep hearing stories about the other gods from your world... But I suppose we must move on, don't we?" Loki said getting serious again.

"I suppose we have..." Jayce said sighing while he looked for something inside of his armor. A few moments later, he placed the Void Core in front of Loki and the adventurers "This is the artifact that I used to defeat Aiz... This is called 'Void Core'"

"And what exactly is this?" Finn asked, studying the small sphere closely.

"It is supposed to be the 'heart' of a voidling."

"And what is a voidling?" Gareth asked.

"A voidling is a creature that has come from a dimension called 'The Void'."

"And what is The Void?" Riveria asked a bit irritated.

"Well... That is also a good question," Jayce answered stretching his arms "The right definition for The Void would be 'A place between worlds and between dimension'. Some call it the place where everything begins and ends. A place where the worlds connect and allow these creatures to enter them... But I suppose the definition accepted by almost everyone in Runeterra is quite different: It is hell."

The Adventurers looked at Jayce, unable to understand what he had just said. He had begun his explanation relaxed and almost happy... Now, all they could see was a man that had seen the darkness and survived to tell the tale. His eyes were completely unmoving and held no apparent meaning. His features were stiff and they almost mistook him for someone else... They couldn't explain why but there was something in him that made them feel intimidated.

They felt that if they were to fight him right now... They would definitely lose.

"What do you mean with hell?" Loki broke the silence.

"It is hard to explain... You have to see it and feel it. See how that strange energy corrupts and destroy everything with ease. Feel how your hopes banish as those creatures advance consuming everything they come across with... An unstoppable force that only seems to get stronger the more you fight it. The beings that hail from such abyss can only be described as monsters. Terrifying alien creatures capable of destroying a whole army by themselves and with an insatiable hunger... Nothing seems to sate their cravings, they simply move forward and devour everything they encounter. And after there is nothing left, The Void swallows the world... And moves into the next one."

Jayce was sure the Adventurers had different expressions on their faces... Mostly fear but that wasn't important for him. What mattered was the woman in front of him. The red haired Goddess that had decided to step into the abyss and look at the darkness. He was sure his tale would be enough to cause fright and even madness in any other normal being. But she was stoic, her eyes were completely focused on his. Assessing his words and trying to find out if there was a lie in his tale... And if Jayce was honest with himself, he could almost feel her watching into his memories and soul.

"Then... If these creatures are as dangerous as you said, Why do you have this thing?" Loki asked grabbing the Void Core.

"Because that thing is one of my inventions."

"One of your... What?"

"We all in Piltover have always wondered if there is truly not a single use for The Void. As far as we are concerned, this energy is incredibly unstable and there is no way to control it outside of being a voidling. It's corruptive and aggressive nature makes it impossible to grasp the true concept of it... So one night I decided to make it possible. This little thing is the culmination of sleepless nights and days filled with coffee and work. Enclosed in an alloy made of several precious materials with a few shards found on the Crystal Scar, after many drills and simulations I managed to reach the perfect balance between the elements in order to isolate the deadly power of the Void and only use its limitless power. It certainly isn't the work of my life but I have to say I am impressed with myself for designing such thing."

"You... You created this? Why would you create something as dangerous as this?" Finn asked with concern.

"Uh... I think there is a serious misunderstanding here. I can't deny I designed the blueprints and calculated the variables... But I didn't 'create' that thing."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, think about it! The nature of The Void makes it impossible for anyone to deal with it. Besides, the materials I described in my blueprints cannot exactly be considered harmless at all. In order to only melt and fuse the materials you would probably a temperature comparable with the sun and as far as I am concerned, there is not a single human that can survive that. Aside from the materials, you would need to manipulate the alloy to a molecular degree. And that is not something humans can do with the current state of technology... This is definitely my design... But I didn't make it. He did."

"Who did?"

"One of those voidlings I was working with. He got interested in my investigation and asked if he could participate with the develop of this beauty. At first, I had my doubts regarding his methods but he sure got results. It sure was a surprise when Caitlyn came and introduced me to Vel-"

"Wait a minute! You told us those creatures were monsters...! Why would you work with one of them?!" Riveria asked angered.

"Why not? He is a scientist and I am a scientist. I had designs he was interested into and he had the data I needed. It isn't that complicated if you think about-"

"It doesn't make sense!" Riveria interrupted again "You have been telling us The Void is a dangerous dimension and the best course of action is tho avoid it and yet, you are speaking about that creature as if he was your friend or something!"

"Well... We are not exactly friends. We are partners... Although, I have to admit I enjoy discussing with him a lot. Especially when we talk about science and the current state of technolo-"

"You don't make any sense!" Riveria yelled this time, slamming her hands on the table "You say 'He is a scientist so it's fine even if he is a monster!' That is not normal! How could you simply accept him that easy? And how could you help him create that accursed thing? According to your tale, that sphere is the most dangerous thing I have ever seen! Why would you even think about creating it if it could represent a danger for the world?!"

"Uh... Because I can." Jayce answered with confusion.

"What?!"

"It is simple if you think about it. I can't deny the 'Void Core' represents a great danger if it falls into the wrong hands... But the potential it holds is impossible to calculate! This is a source of unlimited energy that can be used for anything! I could probably power up my entire lab for years! This is a great step in the history of technology!"

"I think the risks are greater than the gains," Riveria commented furrowing her brow.

"I can't deny that but with a few experiments, I am sure we can use it however we want with complete safety! With this piece fo art, we can surpass our limits and achieve new borders in the human potential! We can do so much more with what we have right now! As a scientist, it is both a duty and a privilege to move forward in the name of humanity and-"

"You are insane," Riveria said with disgust "You are talking about improving but you don't mind risking the lives of many for whatever you want to achieve... You are insane."

"Wha...? Is that supposed to be a joke or something like that? Can somebody explain to me what is the...?" Jayce slowly stopped once he noticed the faces of the other Adventurers. They looked scared and terrified of him.

What is the meaning of this? Why are they so blind to the treasure that is in front of them? How can they deny such opportunity to improve as a species? Jayce knew a few hundred of scientists that would die just to touch the Void Core... Why couldn't these troglodytes understand his words and message? Jayce simply couldn't understand why they were so afraid of progress... I didn't make any sense...!

...

Or perhaps... Perhaps it did...

Perhaps it was completely understandable they couldn't see the world as he did...

...

Oh.

 _You are smart, Mister Jayce. Probably even smarter than the Gods themselves... But this world is not ready for you._

...

This wasn't Valoran. This wasn't Runeterra... This world was not ready for progress. They still needed a few more hundreds of years before the first scientist were born... But Jayce knew it would take more than that. And the reason were the gods. Those powerful and impossible beings had trapped and caged the human potential. Piltover became what it is now because it had no other choice. It was either move forward or die in the wilderness... Adventurers didn't need that kind of strength. Gods had given them what they needed with the Falna and the Familias...

On that moment, Jayce realized just how truly hopeless the Adventurers were... Frozen in this marvelous world. Devoided of the future they could have chosen...

It was terrible.

Jayce focused on the red-haired goddess in front of him... She was still peering into his soul with her eyes. It was brief but Jayce was sure she already knew everything that was going inside of his head.

"What are you going to do?" Loki asked without looking away.

"I need to return to Runeterra."

"Is that so? Do you know how to do it?"

"I have a few theories... But I need a workshop where I can do my research."

"I see... Well then, let's go!" Loki said getting up and grabbing Jayce by his arm "I think I have a good place!"

"Lady Loki! What are you doing?!" Riveria asked in shock.

"I'm planning on 'borrowing' one of Hephaestus old workshops for him! She still owes me a few favors and I think I can get her to accept my request!"

"But..! But why would you do it?!"

"Because it sounds like a lot of fun!" Loki exclaimed dragging Jayce away from the Adventurers.

* * *

Jayce was impressed.

Yes, he was definitely impressed.

Mind you, He wasn't a man that could be easily impressed by anything. As a scientist and as a champion of the League, he had seen many wonderful and horrific things that had left him without a single word more than once... But this had definitely left him completely flabbergasted.

In no more than a single minute, Loki had gained a workshop for him. Something that seemed like an impossible task for the Defender of Tomorrow. And that is how Jayce came to be standing in front of a wide building made of rock and wood. A member of the Hephaestus Familia was waiting behind him and Loki, nervously playing with his thumbs and sweating like a pig. Loki, on the other hand, was smiling and enjoying herself while she hummed a simple song.

"I can't believe you did it..." Jayce repeated once again. "I can't believe you actually did it..."

"What can I say. I am good at what I do, darling!" Loki said hugging his arm.

"And what exactly do you do?"

"Well..." Loki grinned "Do you really want to know?"

"I... I think I am fine not knowing..."

"Lady Loki, Mister Adventurer...!" The man behind them called nervously "Is this one of your likings? Our leader Tsubaki used to work here before she moved somewhere else!"

"It is perfect, No-Name-San! I think we can manage on our own for now!" Loki answered without looking at him "I think you ought to leave... Quickly, if you don't mind!"

"O-Oh...! Then... Then I suppose... I... I'm going to... Leave..." The man stammered before he retreated slowly.

"You know you are evil, right?" Jayce commented feeling sorry for the member of the Hephaestus Familia.

"Aww! I thought that was what made you like me!"

"Yeah... Not a chance."

"What a Tsundere but that's the way I like them!" Loki said with a cheeky grin "Anyways, I think you can work here without being interrupted. I spoke with Hephaestus and I think no one will come if they know you are working for me! If you ever need something, feel free to ask for it!"

"Is that so? Then, I suppose I could always bother with a few supplies. I need a lot of tools like screwdrivers and wrenches but those are not hard to find. I guess I will need cogs and screws for the machines. I don't expect anyone to sell the parts I need for my inventions but I can always craft them if I have the materials... So I guess I need Screws, screwdrivers, and wrenches."

"You are talking about food, right?"

"Okay! Nevermind! I think only need information! Could you tell me where I can buy huge quantities of metals and stuff like that?"

"I have a few dealers that will give me a discount, I will give you the list later... Oh! Are you free tomorrow?"

"I don't think so. I will be pretty busy trying to figure out how to organize my lab and I still need to write down the blueprints for my creations." Jayce said inspecting the doors of the workshop.

"I see... That's a real shame... I wanted you to see the Monster Feria. It happens every year and it's a lot of fun! I guess I can always go with Aiz." Loki gave him a sad smile "Jayce... Are you sure you don't want to be part of my Familia?"

"We have already gone through this, Loki. I really don't think..." Jayce turned around and stopped once he saw Loki. She wasn't sad... Maybe melancholic was the right way to call it. Either way, Jayce couldn't help but feel marveled at her aura. "I know joining your Familia is the best path right now... But I choose not to do it. Maybe returning to Runeterra cannot be done but that will never stop me. I will find a way... I always do."

"Is that so?" The winds blew gently and carried the soft voice of Loki "Then I guess I can't stop you... See you later, Defender of Tomorrow." She gave Jayce one last smile before she walked away.

Jayce kept looking until he could no longer see the figure of the goddess... This was for the best. This world and all the denizens were not ready for him and the rough world he came from. Runeterra could be considered a hell for many but no one could deny strong men and women were both born and shaped by the dangers hiding in every corner in Valoran.

Perhaps the Adventurers were stronger... But they were hopeless.

"I wonder how long it will take..." Jayce spoke to himself, opening the workshop "I wish I could help them... Well then! Let's do this!" And the doors closed behind him.

* * *

 **Well, hello there...**

 **It has been a while, hasn't it? I see you are enjoying my silly story and that makes me glad!**

 **But above everything else, I like it when you guys give me your honest thoughts using the reviews... So as always, feel free to leave one. It helps a lot.**

 **Now...**

 **Let us move to the fun part!**

 **I can see my last chapter did the trick on some of you. _'Adventurers are stronger than champions'_ Those were the words I wrote and I think is about time I give you a proper answer... Well, here it is!**

 **I do know that within the champions there are creatures capable of destroying continents and even entire planets and dimensions, Some of our favorite ones fall into this category... And I know about the mechanics, rules, and items inside of the Summoner's Rift... But you seem to forget a peculiar characteristic of my story.**

 **Behind the powerful hammer, Jayce is a normal being. A very clever and brilliant human but mortal in the end. He doesn't possess any sort of military training like the Demacians or the Noxians, he isn't a magician or has supernatural powers like most of the champions... He is a normal human like you, me and almost every Piltovian champions (Yes, I know Ezreal, Ori, and the others.). In comparison with the gods and monsters from the League of Legends, he is weak and small. But that is what makes him wonderful and superior in some sense.**

 **Yes, Adventurers are stronger than champions... But that doesn't mean the champions would lose against the Adventurers.**

 **I hope my explanation managed to meet your expectations... If I missed something, feel free to tell me.**

 **:3**

 **Oh!**

 **And about the Familia... You will have to wait and see!**

 **:3**


	4. Chapter 4 - The Goose of the Golden Eggs

**IV**

 **The Goose of the Golden eggs.**

We all are afraid of something. Creatures have learned that there are things that simply put their bodies and psyche in complete shock and disarray. There is no logical explanation as to why these sort of feelings exist but they do. Humans are especially vulnerable to this peculiar phenomenon than animals. Most creatures react this way to specified situations according to their instincts, like the fear they feel in front of a predator or when something unexpected happens... Humans are more complicated and there is simply no way to define or even predict this behavior as we are prone to feel horrified by the most ridiculous and stupid things we could have come up with.

Something common would be the darkness. Being physically unable to see what lies ahead of you can be terrifying in many ways: Maybe you fear you don't know where you are going. Maybe you fear you are walking in a dangerous field, Or maybe you are afraid of whatever that dwells inside of it and you can't see... Especially if that whatever can see you and you don't know it.

And the darkness it is something people in Valoran are mostly afraid of. The land of Runeterra is filled with many secluded and dark corners where forgotten terrors are waiting for the next victim or the chance to break their chain and roam freely once again. The seas around the lands only hide unseen monsters in the depths and the tales of the sailors and pirates are not exactly helpful. Alien beings have crossed the rift in order to consume and destroy the land of Valoran with their corruptive and unstoppable energy. Ghostly figures move in the midst of the Shadow Isles where anyone can hear the screams of the damned and the ancient curses of a pitiful kingdom... Yes, the denizens of Valoran had many reasons to be afraid... But the human race is not exactly known for their sanity and logic.

When the Mist of 'The Harrowing' moves to plague the shores and the Islands, a peculiar celebration takes place in many City-States. Boys and girls of every age run on the streets dressed as supernatural creatures in order to fool the real monsters and the darkness. The brats run wild the whole night, asking for candy and playing nasty jokes on the houses that refused to give the sweets. Even the famed city of knowledge, Piltover, enjoyed the festivities. It was truly a sight to behold: The always skeptical scientist would dress with flashy customes and would run around screaming and playing like little kids. Some said it was a nice way to get rid of the stressful life they had while some others simply liked to have fun... Jayce was one of the few that couldn't really understand what was the point.

It wasn't like he couldn't enjoy the party... It was a fundamental matter with his own mind. He never came to terms with this peculiar and ridiculous trait but he had to admit it would take a while to overcome. The Defender of Tomorrow was still a human after all, and he was also afraid of something incredibly nonsensical...

Witches.

Those so-called women capable of ridiculous feats and incredible powers were the thing he hated the most. The fact that he couldn't explain why those creatures were able to transmute a normal human into simple amphibians kept him awake for many years. There was not a single book that described the method and process of this magic and not a single scientist in Piltover was interested in finding out how to do it.

Humans are often scared of things they can't see... Or understand...

And this was the reason why Jayce was currently trying his best to not scream like a little girl and escape as fast as he could... Because he was currently in front of the thing he was so terribly afraid of...

A witch.

"Well... In all my years in this business, I have never seen something with this kind of nature." The witch Lenoa whispered while she studied the ruby with her nails "This precious gem would definitely pass as a common stone but on closer inspection, I can tell it somehow boosts the total amount of health of the user... And this sapphire..." She continued picking up the blue crystal "This one has the same effect but on mana instead of health... How fascinating! I have seen creations that can do the same thing but those items require lots of Valis and an insane amount of items! The worst part is that some of those items only have a temporary effect... These are permanent... Outstanding!" The old witch smiled at Jayce "You certainly are a talented young man and the fact that I can't feel any magical aura from you is even more interesting..." She smiled wickedly "Perhaps there are a few things I can do with a handsome boy such as you-"

"PLEASE! ANYTHING BUT THE FROGS!" Jayce cried while he covered his eyes and hid behind a chair. Leona looked at him with a blank expression "I mean... Yes! These sure are interesting gems! As I said before, I came to sell them!"

"I think I am more curious about that 'frog' issue you said..."

"Frogs?! Nobody said anything about frogs!" Jayce laughed nervously.

"Is that so?" Lenoa snickered playfully "Ah! If only you were fifty years older... Either way, I can give you a nice price for each one of these... But this one, this one interest me the most." Lenoa said picking up a strange purple gem with a rune at the center. "I can feel a peculiar aura coming from it... What was the name again?"

"The Catalyst of Aeons."

"I see... It is indeed a worthy name for such gem." Lenoa said tracing the rune in the crystal "I am really curious as to how you managed to craft such amazing artifact but I do suppose you are not that naive to tell this old lady your secrets, huh?" Jayce simply smiled and remained quiet "I thought so... Either way, I will pay you one thousand for each ruby, three thousand for each sapphire and seven thousand for each catalyst." Jayce nodded and placed a bunch of gems in front of Lenoa "What a surprise... Such powerful artifacts and you can even mass produce them... You sure are full of surprises, young man."

"I don't think my items are that special, Miss Lenoa. I mean... There are several more impressive things here at your shop."

"Ah, yes... I can't deny that, young man. But I can see your items were crafted by none other than yourself." Lenoa said playing with the gems "Items made by other mages are bound to have some sort of contamination. It is impossible to imbue a random object with magic without adding other things... Like the own mana of the magician, for example. Yours although simple are pure in every way... I am really curious about the method you used... How about we make a deal? You tell me the story and I will give you that..." Lenoa said pointing at a strange book on one of the shelves.

"Uh... What is that?"

"That is a Grimoire, young man. It allows the user to learn a single spell forcibly... Even someone like you could be able to use magic with no problem. It is a powerful item and it is currently at an auction but I could give it you for the little secret. It is a nice deal, don't you think?" Lenoa said winking.

"T-That sounds nice... But I am afraid I will have to refuse your offer, Miss Lenoa."

"Oh... And why is that?" Lenoa asked with interest.

"Wel... I have never been able to use magic. For me, magic was just something that existed in a different world for me. I grew up not needing it and I think I will never need it. I have managed to solve my problems using my own strength and skills... I am sorry but I can't accept your offer, Miss Lenoa."

"Is that so? Well, that is truly a shame." Lenoa said patting Jayce on his shoulder "Then, I hope you can keep selling those items to me... And I have a good feeling you will just keep coming up with new and wonderful things."

"You can count with-" Suddenly, Jayce felt an ominous aura and turned around just as the shop of the store was opened and two strangers came inside.

The first one was definitely an Adventurer. He was tall, even taller than Jayce. His body and his stance only spoke about the years he spent fighting and honing his skills in dire situations. His eyes were devoided of all emotions but seemed to hide some sort of deviant fire. He wasn't wearing much armor but Jayce was sure there was no way he could harm him using normal attacks. The only weapons he had were two huge simple swords strapped in a backpack behind his back. The stranger stared at Jayce and stiffed. Apparently, the news about his feats were already known around Orario.

Although the stranger was imposing, Jayce couldn't help but grin a the two small ears atop of his head.

The other figure was somehow more captivating than the Adventurer. It was being hidden behind a large black robe that covered their entire body but Jayce was able to tell it was a woman thanks to the curves on her body. She moved graciously and there was a peculiar aroma filling the shop. It was premature but Jayce was fairly sure the woman was a goddess... Although, she was completely different from Loki and Hestia.

"My, my. It is an honor to have Lady Freyja and her champion here at my humble shop." Leona spoke bowing slightly.

"You are as charming as always, Lenoa." The hooded figure said with a soft voice "I see you are busy so I suppose I could come back later..."

"Ah! There's no need to fret, Lady Freyja. The young man here is already done." Lenoa said with a smile "He was just about to leave..."

"Is that so...?" The hooded woman trailed off while she inspected Jayce "I am surprised to see someone like you in this kind of shop considering you don't fill the necessary criteria to use any of the items in here. Perhaps you should be where you belong."

...Ho.

So that's how it is, huh? At first, Jayce was sure everything was inside of his head... But this peculiar encounter only solidified his suspicions... It was now clear that there was some sort of discrimination in Orario. Racial issues aside, the status called 'Adventurer' did hold some sort of importance in the current state of society. The gods had chosen just a few individuals to represent and hold their powers with pride and glory... Yes, everything sounded amazing and lovely until you watched under the carpet. It shouldn't be a great problem since Jayce knew a fairly large group of Adventurers that did not act like that... But the problem was the others... He hadn't seen it yet but Jayce could feel it in his bones. The 'magic-less' citizens of Orario and the common folk...

Just what kind of problems did they suffer every day in silence?

"Well then... I guess I should leave now." Jayce managed to excuse himself politely. He sure was livid with rage but he wasn't foolish enough to pick a fight with a goddess and an Adventurer. Besides, there was nothing more satisfying than destroying this kind of people with achievements instead of violence. The Defender of Tomorrow had done the same thing several times in the past during his youth. He smiled coldly at the goddess and was about to leave... But once again, he was proven his fears were well founded.

"Do not forget the Grimoire, young man." Lenoa suddenly said with a grin "It is yours as we have discussed."

"The Grimoire? What are you talking about? I said I did-"

"There is no need to be shy, young man. You have won the auction and I think it would be for the best if you took it before one of the other participants comes to pick it for themselves... There are a few troublesome ones that will not take it kindly."

"And what is that supposed to me-" Suddenly, Jayce froze in place.

This feeling was familiar. A strange sensation that was soaring through his body and altering his behavior. He had felt it many times as a champion of the League, it was such an intoxicating effect he sometimes forgot it was a skill meant to harm and kill... Something only two champions in the world could actually use.

 _'Charm'_

Jayce could feel how his heart began beating faster than normal, his temperature rose and his body began shaking uncontrollably. His eyes became fuzzy and he began gasping for air. There was a delicious aroma in the surrounding him and he could feel how hist strength was slowly drained. He could also hear a harmonious song dancing in his ears and prompt him to obey... As so he did.

He slowly turned around to face the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his entire life. Long silver hair flew graciously over her perfect face emphasizing her marvelous purple and shiny eyes. Her porcelain skin seemed to shine with an unnatural and captivating power. Her body was the very definition of femininity and was tightly covered by a black dress that left open a huge part of her torso and cleavage... Jayce always knew goddesses were quite different from each other... But he never thought he would meet this sort of creature... She was beautiful... So terrifyingly beautiful.

"So I take you won the auction, yes?" Her voice danced on Jayce's ears. "But you see, I kind of need the Grimoire for my own purposes and I was hoping you could give it to me... Would you kindly give me the Grimoire, dear?" The Goddess smiled playfully at him.

The charm was powerful, even more powerful than Ahri's. Jayce had never felt such attraction in his entire life... It was as if the Goddess had enslaved his very soul and mind with unbreakable chains. She was strong... The goddess signaled Jayce to get closer and the champion slowly obeyed. He reluctantly dragged his feet over the floor until he was finally standing in front of her. She was even more beautiful from up close and the sweet aroma was stronger. She began tracing his face with her delicate hands. Jayce could feel how the spots he touched began to flare and even hurt. The Goddess smiled wickedly and began to slowly drag his face to hers... Her luscious lips and dazzling eyes numbed Jayce's senses and he was sure he stopped breathing... There was no way he could resist such intoxicating sensation, he wasn't that strong... He closed his eyes and decided to let it happen...

...

And then...

...

And then...?

...

Hmm... Weird... And then...?

Well... This is strange. Jayce was sure just a moment ago he was completely charmed by the goddess... But right now, he felt nothing. Sure, she was still a complete beauty but he no longer felt excited or anything like that. In fact, he was feeling quite awkward. The goddess was still holding his face but it seemed like she was waiting for him to make the next move. Jayce kept staring at her with confusion but it seemed like the goddess didn't mind at all. Perhaps she believed he was still under her charm and his expression was just the result of her spell... So Jayce did the only thing he could do in such situation.

He smiled.

The goddess was taken aback by his action and her confusion became shock when Jayce slowly and gently pushed her hands away from his face.

"You... How did you do that?" Frejya couldn't believe her eyes. There were a few individuals who could actually withstand her charm but even they would struggle to do so. This man managed to break free with no apparent effort.

"That is actually a wonderful question and I am sure it has a wonderful answer... One I ignore but I am sure there has to be a logical explanation for this," Jayce answered with a small smile. "Still... This feels awfully familiar in many ways. The effects fo the charm suddenly vanished and there were no after effects... It is almost as if... Oh! That's it! I completely forgot about the other items!" He said while he grabbed Freyja by her shoulders "I didn't think about it because I only found the small versions of the finished items in my pockets but Badger did buy a QSS before I appeared here...! But where..." He began searching all over his armor until he found a gray band tied to his arm "Ha! Would you look at that!? I can't believe it's true! So that means I only need to figure out how to replicate the effects of the finished items and..." He began mumbling inaudible things while he walked back and forth "Yes! This will definitely work! Thank you so much for this eventful meeting!" Jayce said hugging Freyja "I will be back with more things, Lenoa. And you have a good day, sir!" He finished shaking Ottar's hand jovially before he left the store in a hurry.

The shop was filled with silence. The goddess remained where she was, looking at the door completely stunned and with no idea of what just happened. She knew that there were Adventurers strong enough to resist her charm but there was no way a simple commoner could have pulled that kind of thing. That man was no different from the farmers or the other citizens in Orario... What's more, he was even below them as he possessed not a single ounce of magic inside his body.

"That was absolutely wonderful!" Lenoa laughed "That child did a number on you!"

"What is the meaning of this, Lenoa?" Ottar asked with anger "Why was that man here in your shop?

"That young man came to sell his trinkets as I said before... But I can't believe he actually defeated the famed goddess of beauty. He sure is full of surprises!" Ottar frowned and glared at Lenoa "There is no need to be aggressive, King. I am but an old lady and I do wish for some amusement sometimes... I appreciate the joy you just gave me." Lenoa winked at him and laughed again "And to what own the pleasure to have the 'undefeated' Goddess of Seduction here in my humble shop?" Freyja kept looking at the door "Lady Freyja?"

"Who was that man?"

"His name is Jayce. Some magicless weirdo that owns a workshop somewhere near the border of the city. He is also the 'Hero' that defeated Vanargand without being an actual Adventurer. He has become quite the celebrity for the commoners and the Low-class adventurers."

"He owns a workshop? How?"

"Apparently, he has his ways with women. I myself have been charmed by that poster smile of his." Lenoa snickered "He was given the workshop by the Hephaestus Familia, but the important part is that the Loki Familia made the request for him."

"That is... Impossible... How do you know this?"

"A good witch never reveals her secrets," Lenoa claimed cheekily "Either way, I have what you came looking for, Lady Freyja." Lenoa said pointing at the book on the shelves "I still ignore why would you need it but I will not judge the will of the gods. Although, I am quite concerned about the 'little incident' at the Moster Feria... There are rumors about several guards being charmed by a powerful spell..."

"My, my. The things people say on the streets" Freyja said grabbing the book "But between you and me, The Feria was a success and I need this Grimoire for the next part. He is slowly getting stronger and more brilliant with each passing day... Soon, he will become the man I know he can be."

"I am glad to hear that, Lady Freyja. And I am sure you will be satisfied with the potential of the Grimoire."

"I hope so... Also, you said he has a workshop somewhere near the border of the city. Correct?"

"Yes, an old Hephaestus' Familia workshop. I think it belonged to the current head of the Familia. Her name is Tsubaki or something like that... Are you planning on visiting him, Lady Freyja?"

"I will have some of my children keep in eye on him for the time being. If Loki is interested in him then that man is probably hiding something else on his sleeves..."

"Ho, ho! So you also fell for his smile, huh?"

"I can't deny he is quite charming and handsome... But you are wrong. I can't really explain it since I haven't felt this sort of thing in a while... I suppose the idiotic Loki could only find him interesting and charming since she has always loved the troublesome stuff... But for me, he is... Scary."

"Scary? How so?"

"Men and women of this realm have always looked at us with wonder and awe. They respect us, love us and even fear us... But he is different. He might be impressed by our nature but deep inside his eyes, there is something hidden... He is not afraid of us. He is not in love with us. He does not feel inferior in front of us... Yes... He is terrifying." The Goddess of beauty whispered before she and his champion left the store.

* * *

For some, the maid known as Ryuu was the perfect example of servitude. She always moved with such grace and decor many would think she was actually a servant from a forgotten kingdom. Even among the waitress of the 'Hostess of Fertility' she was especial just because she belonged to one of the most mysterious and most beautiful races in this world: The Elves. Those incredibly powerful and elegant humanoid creatures lived beyond the barriers they themselves had erected in order to protect their secrets. As a member of such race, Ryuu had always stood for working in that kind of place. Normally, elves would be requested by almost every Familia.

But of course, Ryuu wasn't the only remarkable waitress that worked in the 'Hostess of Fertility'. In fact, almost every member of the staff held some sort of secret... Not the kind of secret the customers would like to know. If word came out about the past of some of the waitresses, even the most experienced Adventurers would think twice before going to eat there... Behind those charming smiles and cute manners lied some dangerous individuals and creatures that could very well be classified as criminal... And Ryuu was no different from them.

Despite her dark and sometimes tragic past, the Gale had learned to move forward and face the demons behind her back. Surrounded by many people with similar scars, the young elf managed to pull herself together and began living a quiet and humble life. Working at the pub wasn't as rewarding as her past profession but she had to admit she enjoyed the experience. With the years, she gained the experience needed to become a proper maid and waitress. To act with the elegance of an elf even in the direst situation... But even after all those years of hard work, it certainly took everything she had to not laugh like a complete maniac when she saw a grown-up man dancing and screaming in the middle of the fields.

"Why are you not working?!" Jayce yelled as he shook his arms in complete desperation "I know you can do it... Why are you not doing it?!" He was screaming to a strange and small brooch with the shape of a sword in his hands "I don't get it! The QSS worked just fine a few moments ago! Why are you not working?!"

Jayce kept staring at him and trying to not lose her cool... It was bound to happen if she was honest with herself. She already knew he was kind of insane but it seems the pressure finally took the final strike on his sanity. Aside from being a complete jerk and a womanizer, he was now crazy... A filthy rich, womanizer, jerk, handsome madman... Ryuu raised her gaze to the skies and wondered why the gods were so unfair with their decisions. Either way, she noticed a bunch of smiths were already peeking from their workshops to see what was making such ruckus. It was already bad enough to be insane so Ryuu was going to make sure that stupid man kept some self-respect. He nodded and marched towards him. He was once again ranting to himself and not paying attention to his surroundings... So with a wide smile on her face, Ryuu slapped Jayce so hard he actually a few meters through the air. He managed to scream in surprise before his face was buried in the dirt.

"Oh! My bad!" Ryuu apologized with monotony while she covered her mouth with one of her hands. "I seem to have used more strength than needed... But I suppose it is Mister Jayce's fault for being so annoyingly weak and foolish! I'm sorry!"

"You... You do hate me, don't you?!" Jayce growled in fury while he got up and dusted his armor from the dirt "You almost killed me!"

"There is no need to be so dramatic... It was just a simple and friendly pat on the head."

"Your 'simple and friendly' pat sent me flying through the air a few meters away! And you almost ripped my head out of my shoulders!"

"I see... I will make sure to restrain myself next time." Ryuu apologized with a nod.

"I hope so because I won't... Wait... What do you mean with 'next time'?" Ryuu simply gave him a smug smile "You hate me, don't you?"

"On the contrary, Mister Jayce. I have a high regard for you. Can't you see I stopped you from shaming yourself in front of the other smiths? If I haven't acted, you would have terrified the neighbors with your nonsensical behavior."

"I-I wasn't being that loud...! Was I?"

"That doesn't really matter right now. The situation has been dealt with and I hope you have more careful with your actions." Ryuu scolded patting his shoulder "Either way, why were you acting like a complete fool?"

"It is just this thing here..." Jayce said showing Ryuu the small brooch "This is supposed to be a powerful item and it has several passive and active effects. I just discovered some of the effects can be activated if it meets the right conditions. This item is supposed to give me a speed boost but I don't know how to use it... So far, I've been experiment thing with commands and actions but nothing seems to work..." He explained sighing and putting the brooch inside his pocket "I suppose I can worry about that later... Either way, why are you here, Ryuu?"

"Mama Mia was worried about your well being. She heard rumors about you angering a peculiar goddess so she sent me to check on you... What did you do, Mister Jayce?" Ryuu asked staring at him with annoyance.

"I didn't do anything! I was just there and everything happened so fast I couldn't really understand anything at all!" He explained nervously "I swear it wasn't my fault!"

"Is that so...? I suppose I could always believe you but do not blame me if an angry mob comes after you." Ryuu added with a mischevious smile. "Anyways, I actually came for another reason. I was hoping you could do me a favor."

"A favor? For you?" Jayce asked skeptically.

"Yes. I am sure there are a lot of doubts regarding your 'peculiar' persona but I have acknowledged your talent. I know that you possess a ginormous pool of new and powerful techniques... So I was wondering if you could accept my request and create something for me... Okay, it is not something for me but for a young Adventurer I have placed my eyes in. He is naive and lacks experience but I know with proper guidance he can achieve great things. And I know this might sound a bit conceited but I want to feel like I helped him in any way... So... What I want is..." Ryu hesitated and looked at the ground in shame "I want you to craft me a weapon so I can give it to him. I am willing to pay any price you want... Even if that includes some embarrassing favors from me..." Ryuu turned around and snickered quietly at her joke. She was sure Jayce would be completely outraged at her seemingly shameless comment. She had found it was kind of fun to see him react in many ways...

The seconds passed and there was no apparent response from him. She turned around wondering if he had just left stomping the ground... But she was wrong. He was still there, standing right in front of her... But what she saw made her shiver in fear...

Ryuu was no fool. Her past experiences had taught her how to read and judge the people and their actions, so she was able to tell the true nature of many individuals with a single glance... And what she saw in Jayce was something she wasn't expecting. He was a fool and an arrogant womanizer, there was no doubt in that... But Ryuu was aware that there was more of him than just a pretty face and a silly smile... The man she met at the 'Hostess of Fertility' was gone and in his place, there was the most dangerous creature Ryuu had seen in her entire life.

His eyes held a meaning she couldn't even begin to grasp. His features were both dark and only spoke about the battles he had fought. He was clearly looking at her but his focus was somewhere else far away from Orario or this world... The man in front of her was not her dear friend she liked to mess with... He was now a warrior that had fought against monsters, demons and even the gods. A man so powerful he could easily destroy the balance and the society in Orario with a single word... A man that held all the answers...

He was a 'Champion'.

Suddenly, he sighed and scratched his hair... He clearly seemed worried about something but he decided to keep his problems to himself. He steeled his resolve and stared right into Ryuu's eyes with such intensity she began to shivering in fear...

"I can create such thing but first, I want you to answer me honestly... Can you trust him?" The question was simple but Ryuu realized it held more than one meaning for him... Despite that, Ryuu was determined to get what she wanted.

"I can trust him." She said without trembling or looking away.

His gaze pierced her eyes and she wondered if Jayce lied about him not having powers at all... It felt as if he was scavenging for the truth inside her soul.

"I see..." He sighed once again in defeat "Then tell me about him so I can craft the perfect tool for him." At his words, Ryuu finally breathed in relief.

"I'm glad you accepted... Well, as I said before, he is still a novice Adventurers and doesn't really have that much experience. He is naive and doesn't know how to judge people properly, especially the women. But he is also talented and with an uncanny potential. He recently defeated a powerful enemy and he is on his way to becoming one of the best Adventurers in the world... But his Familia is quite small so he lacks the resources to improve. I know a single weapon won't change his situation that much but if it is something especially made by Mister Jayce, I am sure he would somehow find a way to reach his goal."

"A rookie, huh?" Jayce mused "I think I may have a few useful things in my workshop... Follow me."

Ryuu nodded and followed behind him. The workshop hadn't changed that much since the last time she came to visit... It still looked deteriorated and she could see Jayce hadn't really bothered in fixing the front. In fact, it seemed like the amount of garbage and other materials at the sides of the building had increased... But there was one peculiar detail. It was a brand new and golden shop sign at the front. Ryuu had never in her life seen glyphs like those ones but she was able to read the runes with ease.

 ** _"Piltover"_**

"That is a strange name for a shop." Ryuu commented with curiosity " And why can I read those strange symbols?"

"That is the name of my birthplace..." Jayce explained while he struggled with the lock of the door "And I am surprised you can understand the Runic language. Every denizen in Valoran and in Runterra is able to read and speak it with no prior training or education...But for you to actually understand it... Rumors say the Summoners used one of the World Runes to create a universal language any being in any dimension could use... I can't believe those ridiculous theories are actually true."

"Wait... How can that be even possible?!" Ryuu asked with actual confusion. That kind of power was something only the most powerful gods in heaven could use.

"Beats me. World Runes are something out of our reach... No matter how much we ask for it, the summoners won't budge." Jayce sighed finally unlocking the padlock "Okay, you just stay put while I look for the items... And for the love of Nashor. Don't. Touch. Anything!" Jayce said stressing every word and glaring at Ryuu. The elf nodded but secretly crossed her fingers behind her back.

She finally stepped inside of the workshop, waiting for a complete mess of all sorts of foreign and even maleficent things...

...

...

Well...

She did found a mess... But not the kind of mess she was expecting.

There were several strange objects around the workshop and some curious items on the worktable but the thing that surprised Ryuu the most were the walls. All of them were almost completely covered by papers and scrolls with all sort of drawings describing a bunch of machines Ryuu hadn't seen in her entire life. At the center of the room, there was a blackboard with numbers, letter, lines, tables and some other things Ryuu could barely recognize as math. She had been taught how to properly add and subtract numbers as a way to ensure she wouldn't be fooled by the merchants... But those calculations seemed more advanced. Something that hadn't even been conceived at the academies in Orario or in Rakia.

She began feeling dizzy looking at the numbers so she decided to inspect the worktable. She saw some sort of strange crowd made of stone with several magic crystals around it, several new and strange potions different from the ones she had seen at the Familias, a set of tools she couldn't recognize and a few books written in the Runic Language.

She saw the Mercury Hammer resting in a special handle in on of the corners and she also saw the 'Void Core' inside of a strange metal cage with several threads made of copper and other materials.

There was a rustling, the door at the back of the room opened and Jayce appeared with a weird sword in his hands. The blade of the weapon was made of a glowing orange material and with a strange shape. As a veteran Adventurer, Ryuu could tell the sword lacked the proper qualities of a weapon. Even one of those cheap daggers sold at the lowest level of Babel Tower could be more useful than this thing. The blade was weird and blunt, and the whole weapon was completely unbalanced. Not even the most proficient warrior could wield it with ease... Was that the weapon she was going to give to Bell Cranel?

"Mister Jayce... I know we have our differences but I have always respected you as a person... So I just can't believe you are going to give me that piece of trash." Ryuu spoke with anger.

"One man's trash is another man's treasure." He said with a cheeky grin "I can tell this novice Adventurer goes into the dungeon quite often, yes? And even though I haven't gone into the dungeon myself, I can tell it is filled with lots of monsters with many abilities and strengths, yes?" He waited for Ryuu to do something, the elf nodded with confusion "And this is just my deduction, but I am sure there are a few that use actual magic as attacks, yes?

"Yes, there are a few dangerous monsters that use magic attacks. Especially on the middle and lower floors... What does that have anything to do with that weapon?"

"This, my dear Ryuu, is called the 'Hexdrinker'! And has the ability to create a shield capable of deflecting every magic attack once the user has sustained a certain amount of damage!"

"That... That is impossible! Can this sword really block all magic attacks?!"

"Yes, it can! Light magic, Air magic, Storm magic, Fire magic, Ice magic, Dark magic, Magma Magic, Water magic, Mystic Magic, Nature magic and every other idiotic and completely nonsensical magic those pesky Demacians come up with! With a superb offer of only $4.99 for the following month with your subscription at twitch/tsm_Dyler1! No scam!" Jayce began spouting while some music began playing and a rain of colored paper magically fell atop of him from the ceiling.

Ryuu simply stared at him with a blank expression.

...

...

"I'm sorry..." He apologized embarrassed.

"As I was saying before, how can that sword block spells?" Ryuu asked again, ignoring the little scene from before.

"The procedure is complicated and I am afraid it would take me a few months to explain in some way you can understand it" Jayce answered deciding to forget about the incident as well "Do you understand how enchantments work?" Ryuu nodded "Think of it as something like that. The weapon has a unique and powerful effect that can be activated if the user fills certain criteria or does some specific action."

"And what are the features of said effect? How many times can it be activated in a day? Is it a single use spell?"

"I... Look, that is actually a prototype a managed to synthesize yesterday. I am sure it will work just fine but I ignore what will happen after that. The Hexdrinker you have in your hands is a simple replica of the original. The effects will be the same but the object itself is different... So I guess this Adventurer you speak of will be the subject of this experiment."

"And what happens if the replica fails?"

"It won't fail... I just don't know what will happen after the Hexdrinker is activated. Normally, it would need some time to recharge before the effects can be used again." Jayce explained "In fact, I won't ask you for any sort of payment. The results of this experiment would be more than enough..." He finished handing the sword to Ryuu.

"If everything you said is true... Then this object could cost a few thousands of Valis. Even millions if the effect can be activated multiple times... Are you sure you want to give this to me?"

"It's fine. Believe me when I tell you that thing is among the most defensive items I can create... Just tell that Adventurer to keep it a secret. Especially from the guild." Jayce said with a smile "Ah! And you can take this for yourself!" He said giving Ryuu a small purple stone on a base "This object will allow you to illuminate dark areas. You can put it at the 'Hostess of Fertility' at night if you want."

"I see... Thank you, Mister Jayce." Ryuu said with a smile and carefully grabbed the purple totem. She was about to leave but hesitated at the door "Jayce... When I asked you for the weapon, you suddenly... changed. Your cheerful aura became aggressive and terrifying... Did I say something that insulted you?"

"That... That was just..." Jayce began "Ryuu, you have to understand that what I do here in my workshop is called science. Science is the greatest invention of human kind, it gives powerless and weak people the ability to protect themselves and fight for their rightful place in this life. The city of Piltover is the paragon of this dream, moving forward and discovering new and amazing wonders is practically the only thing I know how to do... But sadly, the heart of men can be easily corrupted. Not many of us shared the same view of the future... Some of them wanted something completely different... And inhuman, in some way. I myself haven't really crafted a true weapon aside from my Mercury Hammer and I only did it because it was necessary... You have no idea how awful it feels to see the work of your life being used as... As..." His voice cracked and he closed his eyes "Ryuu... What you have in your hands it is not only a weapon... It is the culmination of my efforts, my dreams, and my aspirations. Be careful with it." He managed to say with a sad smile "Now go... It is getting late and I would hate to see a beautiful maiden like you walking on the streets in the middle of the night." Ryuu tried to say something comforting but not a single word escaped her mouth. She nodded and opened the door of the workshop "Oh! I almost forgot... What is the name of the Adventurer? I kind of need it for the file..."

"Bell Cranel." Suddenly, Jayce snickered "What's wrong?"

"Nothing... It is just... A wonderful coincidence, I suppose... See you tomorrow, Ryuu." There is was again. That annoyingly charming smile of his.

"Goodbye, Mister Jayce" Ryuu muttered while the closed behind her back.

* * *

Jayce watched the form of the waitress disappear inside of the alleys of the city and wondered if he had done the right thing. He knew the knowledge he had brought from Runeterra could be extremely dangerous in this land were gods ruled the lives of the humans and denizens of this world. He had seen how Piltover had destroyed many cults with their advanced technology and techniques... He himself had been at the front sometimes... Well, he supposed a single sword wouldn't have that much of an impact in the community. The effect of the 'Hexdrinker' was surely overpowered in this world but the sword was mediocre. Jayce had never in his life touched a furnace and he wasn't sure if the weapon could even withstand one or two blows before it was shattered in million of pieces...

Only time would tell...

"But I have to admit Professor Heimerdinger's method sure is effective," He said to himself, looking for something on his table "I might be unable to replicate mythical items from the League but I can craft the Advanced items with relatively ease. I haven't really tried to make a legendary item since I don't really have the materials but I could always try some day... Then again, I am not really planning to stay here in this world for much longer... I need to get back to Runeterra." he said with determination while he squeezed a small rock in his hand "But...! I think I might as well have some fun while I can!"

He made sure everything was closed and locked, he grabbed the crowd made of stone and placed in the center of the room. The magic crystals began glowing with different colors and intensities... And after a while, they exploded into a burst of lights. Several lines and patterns began drawing in the middle of the air, forming figures of all shape and sizes. Small moving dots of light appeared all around the lines and figures, some of those were brighter than the others and even had a certain and peculiar aura in them... Jayce studied the hologram while he wrote some notes on a scroll. The gems in the crowd hummed steadily and the map of the city of Orario was finally completed.

"Outstanding! It seems the Professor was right all along... His replication method is amazing! Items are one thing, but to think I was able to replicate this thing! Ridiculous! I suppose operation 'Minimap' was a success after all, and It seems the wards can last indefinitely! That sure is broken... But still... I can only pinpoint the location of the subjects inside Orario... The thing is I can't really tell which light belongs to which citizen, Adventurer or even God... Maybe if I add more magic crystals to the crown, I might be able to create more subroutines in the core of the map... How the hell am I supposed to do that?" Jayce spoke to himself "Wait a minute... I think I read something about that in that thesis Ziggs published when he became a Dean in the Yordle Academy... Something about the fusion between thaumaturgy and arcane arts. I remember it very well because there was not a single mention of new hexplosives in the whole document." He scratched his chin in focus "So that means I still need a few more materials and minerals to finish this thing... I am pretty sure there is no way I will find those resources in the stores... So that means I have to..."

Even if Jayce possessed a ridiculous amount of gold, he no longer wanted anything to do with the guild... He couldn't explain why but there was something obnoxious around that place. His Valis' reserves were almost depleted and there was no way he could gain that amount by just selling the magic stones he crafted in his workshop... His research around the 'Void Core' was advancing but without the equipment, he feared it would take years before he could return to Runeterra. He needed to craft the tools from scratch and the materials he required to do so weren't exactly popular among the Adventurers in Orario. So there was one option left...

Get the materials by himself...

"It is time to visit the dungeon" He claimed while The Mercury Hammer in the corner began humming in anticipation.


	5. Chapter 5 - Field Trip

**V**

 **Field Trip**

"I... I think I made a mistake..." Jayce whispered silently while he watched the humongous tower in front of him "I swear this plan sounded better inside my head... But now that I think about it... It is a complete idiocy... Yep! An idiocy!" He laughed, attracting the concerned gazes of the Adventurers around him "I suppose I should go back to the workshop and forget about everything... That sounds like a plan I can get behind!" He said, snapping his fingers and turning around.

...

...

"But I can't leave... I am running low on resources and the merchants are already asking annoying questions... Unless I ask Loki for help, I will have to get the materials by myself..." Jayce sighed and faced Babel again "And I am sure this is the only place where I can find what I need... I mean, I am sure there are better options but I can't really request them from outsiders since I ignore the current political and financial situation of this world... I could very well trigger a war due to my inexperience and stupidity... What should I do?" Jayce moaned helplessly.

He had already come up with a plan but he wasn't sure if such stupid idea could be even called a plan. Well, Ryuu had suggested this idea so Jayce was fairly sure it might somehow work in his favor. He was currently in front of the Tower of Babel... Disguised as a Supporter. Now, Jayce did not know a single thing about how to even spell support. He had acted as an ADC in one game and that was the closest he had gotten to the supports. He knew supports had to somehow protect and babysit the carries, put wards on the map, and aid the other lanes and the jungle if possible... But that was it. His knowledge around that role was so poor he didn't even know there were actual supportive items.

At first, he was planning on simply forcing his way inside the dungeon but Ryuu told him there were sentries and other control points at the entrance. Jayce then tried to dig a hole or create an alternate route... But Ryuu told him he was stupid and even asked him if he had been dropped when he was a kid. The only option left was to join a Familia and become a proper Adventurer but Jayce refused with everything he had... So Ryuu came with this plan.

According to Ryuu's testimony and Jayce's investigation, supporters were not exactly quite famous around Orario. They were mostly weak adventurers that could not keep up with the pace and had to find another way to survive. The rookies of the bigger Familias often worked as supporters while they were in training... But the overall supporter was viewed as a weak being that couldn't really do anything on their own. In fact, some supporters were abused and even attacked by the stronger Adventurers.

The situation was bad but the supporters did enjoy a single advantage over the adventurers, nobody really asked questions to them. So that was why Supporters could aid Adventurers of different Familias easily... Jayce wasn't sure if that was a good thing but it would certainly do the trick. He only needed to get inside...After that, he would ditch the Adventurers and go on his own. He had confidence in his skills and he had brought enough supplies in case he got lost...

And with that in mind, he was currently disguised as a supporter. With a cloak and a hood concealing his identity and a huge backpack on his back. He wasn't sure why supporters needed so many things but the humongous sack would come in handy. Jayce had stored inside his Mercury Hammer, enough food to last for a week, medical supplies like potions and some medicines he had crafted yesterday, some small weapons and the tools needed to scrap and secure the resources he wanted.

Jayce didn't really know what were the differences between Runeterra and this world but he was fairly sure these worlds had some features in common. He hoped that at least the materials were the same: Iron, gold, copper, Silver, Tin, Bronze and some others ores were his current objective. He didn't know the layout of the dungeon but if it was an underground maze, he hoped he could find some of those materials lying on the ground. He was ready to dig if necessary but he would rather avoid dragging unwanted attention.

Now the only problem was to get inside... According to Ryuu, the Adventurers scouted the supporters so Jayce had no other choice but to wait. He was sure he could swindle stupid Adventurers but the chances of being discovered were extremely high. He didn't belong to any Familia and he couldn't really fake his admission into any of them. With no other choice left, Jayce sighed and sat on the ground.

"Well, well, well... What do we have here, boys?" A mocking voice said behind him. Jayce turned around to see a bunch of Adventurers smiling malevolently "You are quite old for being a supporter, huh?" The leader of the gang said stepping forward "Let me guess... You are a failure. Ha!" The others laughed "How sad... But you can consider yourself lucky because we want to make use of your services! How does that sound?" The Adventurer said, offering a hand to Jayce.

This was certainly the opportunity Jayce was looking for... But here is the thing... Jayce really, really, really, REALLY hated being looked down on. He couldn't stand the way those Adventurers were looking at him. It really pissed him off...

But...!

He had learned from his mistakes! And he was mature enough to act like a proper adult and restrain himself properly...

So with his trademark smile, he spoke softly and politely "I appreciate your concern but I believe I will not fulfill my objective with you and your comrades. I cannot deny you gentlemen look like outstanding individuals but our alliance would only hinder our growth as it is completely clear we do not possess the same capabilities and skills... So with all due respect, I decline. Have a nice day and good luck!"

Normally, his apology would do the trick on any reasonable and smart individual... But Jayce had overestimated the brain capacity of the average Adventurer.

"Huh?! What did you just said to me, you weakling?! Here I am, offering you a chance to serve us and you reject our good will! What kind of celebrity do you think you are?! You are nothing but a lowly supporter!" The adventurer shouted, grabbing Jayce by the collar of his hood "I'm going to teach you to respect your betters!"

Well...

That didn't go as planned...

Around them, the others Adventurers were observing the situation and gossiping... But none of them seemed interested in stopping the abuse. Some of them were looking at Jayce with pity and others were smirking and giggling.

How pitiful...

Jayce sighed in disappointment. He had seen the same pattern in Piltover and all over Runeterra. He had hoped Orario was different but it seemed like idiocy was a common disease even in alternate worlds. The Adventurer in front of him had his face twisted in anger with his eyes filled with disgust... All because a supporter refused to follow him... And even though there were some in the crowd that disapproved this trend, nobody would do a thing to stop it...

This was just that kind of world...

Jayce glared at the Adventurer and figured he had to deal with this mess by himself. Defeating him would certainly be easy but that would mean revealing his identity and ruining his plans... Such a shame. He really wanted to explore the dungeon.

"That's as far as you go!" Said a soft voice behind Jayce.

Suddenly, the Adventurer was pushed and fell to the ground roughly. Jayce blinked confused and turned around to see a young girl with black hair and fair skin. The child looked completely Ionian aside from her eyes. These were of a raven color instead of emerald. She was wearing purples clothes and red pieces of armor and had a long and thin sword strapped to her waist...

"You...! What is wrong with you?!" The Adventurer asked getting up.

"I could ask you the same!" The child asked crossing her arms.

"Me!? I am teaching this low life the hierarchy and the order of our society! Why are you getting in my way, huh?!"

"The hierarchy and the order?! You are nothing but a bully and a shame to all of us respectable adventurers!"

"You...! You will pay for that, you bitch!" The Adventurer said getting up and unsheathing his long sword and lunging against the girl"I will murder you, you little piece of S-"

"Enough!"

Suddenly, the long sword was shattered in little pieces and the Adventurer was once again showed away roughly. Standing between the Adventurer and the girl was now standing a tall man with tanned skin and a stern expression on his face. He was wearing similar clothes to the girl and he was wielding a double-ended spear.

"What the...?! You...?! What do you think you are doing, Ouka?!" The Adventurer yelled, trying to get up.

"I could ask you the same, Demetrio. That is not the attitude of a Level two Adventurer like you." The man named Ouka said, looking down on Demetrio.

"It was all your fault for not controlling your subordinates! That harlot interrupted me while I was minding my own business!"

"Demetrio... I respect you as a fellow Adventurer... But if you insult Mikoto one more time..." The man named Ouka whispered while he readied his spear "You won't be getting home in one piece..."

Demetrio trembled at the threat. He glared at Jayce and Mikoto one more time before he scowled and turned around to join his party, he disappeared in the crowd walking towards Babel. The Adventurers around them gossiped a little bit before they continued the procession... It seems like this sort of show is not that uncommon.

"You are truly an idiot!" Jayce heard the voice of Ouka and turned around to see him whack Mikoto on her head "What are you doing looking for a fight against a Level two while you yourself are still a Level one, huh?! Explain it to me!"

"He was... He was bullying that Supporter and I just couldn't handle it!" Mikoto explained with small tears in her eyes "I did the right thing and I know Our Lord would have done the same thing!"

"Maybe... But Takemikazuchi is a god! There is not a single Adventurer that would harm a god in Orario! You are just an Adventurer! A Level One Adventurer! Why would you pick a fight with Demetrio!? You know he is stronger than you!"

"Not for long! I will reach Level Two soon and I will be able to fight my own battles!" Mikoto replied puffing her cheeks.

"You little...!"

"Both of you stop fighting!" A cute and gentle girl said intervening "Ouka, Mikoto didn't do anything wrong!"

"I know she didn't... But she needs to pick her fights wisely! Demetrio could have hurt her! I simply want her to be safe!"

"I can take care of myself just fine!"

"No, you can't! You are still a brat!"

"I am not a brat!"

"Yes, you are...!"

"Stop fighting!"

The heated discussion continued without any of them realizing that Jayce was still there watching them. In reality, Jayce wanted to leave but he couldn't help but feel like this was his fault... Somehow... He waited patiently on the side. Hoping he could either thank or apologize his savior but it seemed like these peculiar Adventurers also seemed to ignore his very own presence. He sighed and simply decided to continue forward...

But...

"Where do you think you're going, huh?"

Jayce froze and slowly turned around to see another girl staring at him with a bored expression. This child was wearing a white cloth over her head concealing her light-brown hair and had some sort of beige chunk of silk covering her body, tied with a single string on her hips... It seemed like she was related to the other three Adventurers but her attire was incredibly different from the others. The girl kept staring at Jayce with her mean and brown eyes, waiting for something to happen... It was clear Jayce wasn't going to speak first so the girl sighed and shook her head in disapproval.

"Asuka..." She said pointing at herself and signaling Jayce to hurry up.

"Ah...! Well... Ah... My name is Jayce!" He finally answered. The Champion was pretty sure his name wasn't that well-known so there was no problem in using it for now "It's... It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Asuka." Asuka eyed Jayce once again but this time, she nodded in approval and grabbed his hand "Hey... Hey! What...?! Miss Asuka?!"

The girl ignored Jayce and dragged him towards the other three that were still fighting. Asuka sighed and breathed deeply

"Stop!" She suddenly yelled with quite the volume, making the other three pay attention to her "Jayce..." She said pointing at him "Ouka, Chigusa, Mikoto..." Asuka said pointing at each one of the Adventurers.

"Oh... Hello there!" The gentle girl called Chigusa said bowing to Jayce and smiling "I apologize for our little drama..."

"I-It's alright... You guys did help me back there..." Jayce said with a nervous smile.

"Whatever... At least, this issue did not escalate into a fight." The young man named Ouka said scratching his hair "Either way, I am Ouka... Kashima Ouka. Member and leader of the Takemikazuichi Familia. I am sorry if I was rude but I would rather protect my partners... Even if that means ignoring everyone else." He said staring at Jayce right in the eyes.

"It's alright... I can understand. I thank you for saving me." Jayce replied without losing his cool.

Ouka scowled and nodded. "But either way... I don't think I have seen you before... I know it might sound arrogant but I do possess a good memory. Are you perhaps a new Adventurer?"

"Ah, well...! You could say I am kind of new in the neighborhood..." Jayce said with a laugh.

"Which one is your Familia?" Mikoto asked with interest.

"That would be... The Hephaestus Familia..."

"Is that true?" Ouka asked with skepticism "It is quite uncommon for a supporter of that Familia to venture into the dungeon alone... What's more, some of those weirdos never really leave their forges... What are you doing here on your own?"

"I... I am actually out of materials... And money. So I thought I could find the resources I need inside Babel... And I am alone because everybody else is busy doing their own stuff. I am new so they don't have time to help me get used to this new environment... So I hoped I could act as a supporter for any party and get inside the dungeon."

Ouka stared coldly at Jayce but Jayce did not react. If Jayce was honest with himself, everything he said was not a lie... Not entirely, at least. He was currently staying at one of the workshops of the Hephaestus Familia and he was low on resources. He couldn't really ask anyone for help and he was pretty sure Loki would definitely want something in return... With no other choice, Jayce took the only chance left.

"That plan is way too dangerous, Mister Jayce!" Mikoto scolded "You could die in the dungeon without no one even noticing it! Especially if this is your first time venturing into Babel."

"I knew that much but I sadly have no other choice but do this in order to get my materials..." Jayce could always sell the rest of his gold coins but he had realized the coins were extremely valuable and couldn't just go showing it to everyone. The guild was already quite interested in him and he just wanted to stay out of trouble.

"Maybe... Maybe you could come with us..." Chigusa proposed quietly.

"That is not a good idea." Ouka said quickly "We don't know him and we ignore whether he possesses the enough skills to aid us. He just joined the Familia and I don't think he can help us... He should just stick with his own and don't meddle with the others... I am pretty sure you are already aware of this. Supporters are not the most liked individuals here in Orario... Most of the parties that could accept you are mostly filled with Adventurers that will torture you... You might even die because of them. I am sorry but it would be for the best if you went home."

...

Well...

That was understandable...

Jayce could even agree with Ouka in that regard. The world was cruel and nobody would really babysit you even if you asked for it. He himself had learned that lesson the harsh way... But still... All the other Adventurers were inside and it didn't seem like Jayce would get another chance. He could always try tomorrow but after that event, he wasn't willing to go through the same experience again.

...

Oh, well! Looks like he had failed this time but Jayce was not ready to give up just yet. His Mercury Hammer was a complete failure on the first try but he kept on trying until he eventually succeeded... And the Defender of Tomorrow was not going to give up here. Jayce sighed and nodded in understanding. He smiled to the group and left...

...

Or at least, he tried...

He found himself unable to move. He turned around to see Asuka grabbing his cloak and looking at him intensively.

"Asuka... What are you doing?" Ouka asked.

"I... I want to help...

"You what?"

"I want to help him..."

"I've already told you we-"

"We don't have a Supporter!" Asuka interrupted, tightening her grip on Jayce's cloak "Yama said he had some stuff to do... And I can teach him all he needs to know..."

"Asuka... We just can't... He needs to..." The girl shook her head "Listen, I am not really sure what is the deal with you but we just-"

"Yes, we can!" Mikoto interrupted, standing by Asuka.

"Don't get me started with you, you brat. I have already told you we-" Ouka stopped when Chigusa squeezed his hand. The young man looked at her in disbelief but the shy girl simply smiled making Ouka sigh in defeat "I just don't get it... But if you guys want to do it this way... Then I suppose I have no choice but help you out... We are not moving from the first six floors and you will have to take care of him, Asuka. This was your decision so carry on with it until the end!" The girl nodded and huffed in determination "Geez... You rarely speak and when you do, it's nothing but trouble... Anyways, let's go!" Ouka said, earning the cheering of the girls.

Jayce simply stood there with absolutely no idea of what just happened. He wanted to believe his handsomeness had somehow captured the heart of the young Asuka but that girl didn't seem like that kind of woman. He refused to believe it was all thanks to his incredible luck... But if he discarded that thought, there was nothing else left to explain this sudden turn of events. He felt small pats in his arm and saw that girl Asuka prompting him to move...

Either way... Everything was going according to his plan!

...

Sort of...

But the important part was that it worked!

...

Kind of...

He decided not to think about it and followed the Takemikazuchi Familia into the depths of the tower of Babel.

* * *

"Mikoto! The sides!" Ouka yelled while he cleaved the body of a dog-like creature.

"I'm on it but they are spawning way too fast!" Mikoto replied, dancing in the middle of a group of goblins and clipping them with her katana "Monsters in this level are not supposed to be this strong! What is going on?!"

"I don't know...! Something must have happened in the lower floors...! The monsters look erratic and scared!" Ouka said leaping to the sides and dealing with another group of Kobolds "Chigusa! We need to get out of here!"

"I'm trying! I'm trying! I am looking for an exit!" Chigusa explained while she desperately looked for an exit in a map "But we have to look for Asuka and Jayce! We separated on that turn!"

"Dammit! We have to find them!" Ouka exclaimed turning to the side, he heard a bestial growl and he could hear strange sounds moving down the hallway and towards them "This is not good... I can hear a monster parade coming our way... We have to find Asuka and get out of here! I don't know why the dungeon is acting this way but it is definitely weird... Let's move!" Ouka exclaimed running into the darkness with the girls following closely.

...

...

 _ **A few rooms away...**_

...

...

"This is... Iron... Right?" Jayce asked while he hovered over a small silver rock. Asuka simply stared without saying a thing

"It looks like a rock..." Asuka commented staring at the ore as well.

"Well, yeah... It has the same consistency and features but it is fundamentally different. It feels sturdy but elastic at the same time... What could this be?"

"It's a rock..."

"That's correct... I may need to study it in depth once I return to my lab." Jayce answered without paying attention and putting the pebble inside the backpack "Well... I can't say I am not disappointed... Outside of that small rock, I haven't really found any useful or even valuable resources." He sighed, studying the walls of the dungeon. "But I have to say... I am impressed by the layout and construction of this dungeon. The lights seem artificial but I can¿t really tell what kind of materials were used or who created such things... It is certainly mysterious."

Even if he had failed his mission, Jayce had found some interesting things in the dungeon. He hadn't encountered monster but the architecture of the was impressive. He was currently studying some sort of greenish light coming from a strange formation in the walls. It didn't look like something that would just pop out naturally but it didn't look like something humans from this world would craft easily. It remained him of the lights used in the mines of Noxus, artifacts created to last for ages and very resistant to damage... Either way, it seemed like he was not going to be able to harvest the materials he need directly from the dungeon. He was kind of expecting a solution by now but it seemed like he would need to try harder...

"I suppose this is as far as I go..." Jayce sighed, massaging his tired shoulders. "We are already on the sixth floor so I think it's time to go back... What do you think, Miss Asuka?"

"Ouka said until the sixth floor..." The girl answered "Let's go" She said pulling Jayce and dragging him towards the hallway.

"Miss Asuka, I can walk by myself! You don't have to pull on me!" Jayce complained but then girl ignored him and continued running down the hallway.

Jayce sighed and simply allowed himself to be pulled by the girl. Despite her small and petite frame, she was incredibly strong and sturdy. It made Jayce wonder of high ranking Adventurers could break rocks even if the looked like children... Well, Aiz Wallenstein was a clear example of such claim and it made Jayce feel intimidated. Either way, it would work just fine in the end. For now, he just needed to focus on finding another way to secure supplies and...

A tremor...

Something moving in the walls...

Jayce felt a chill on his back and quickly tackled Asuka before a large and black claw cut the girl apart. The landed roughly on the floor but before Asuka could say anything, Jace had already carried her in his arms and was running through the darkness.

Behind them, the walls of the dungeon cracked and black creatures began pouring out. Tall and thin humanoid forms made of a dark rock with a single purple orb in the middle of their heads. The strange creatures lumped around before they focused on the two humans running away from the, a ghastly screech filled the caves and the monster began chasing after them with their sharps claws ready to strike and kill.

"What are those?!" Jayce huffed in his mad dash.

"Was shadows. Those are the strongest monsters on the sixth floor. They shouldn't represent a problem to us but I can feel something is weird with them" Asuka explained, peeking over Jayce's shoulders "Their appearance is more devious and I have never seen them react that way... Something is wrong..."

"Something is wrong?! What do you mean?!"

"I can't explain it but it is really bad... Monsters are not supposed to act that way... We must find the others and get out of here. Once we are safe, we can warm the stronger Familias and they should be able to investigate and find the source of this anomaly."

"That sounds like a plan! Let's get the hell out of here!" Jayce exclaimed, speeding up.

They kept running through the halls until they came into a wide empty room with an exit on the other side of it.

"What is this place...?" Jayce huffed, studying his surroundings.

"If I am correct, this should serve as a restricted area where Adventurers can fight a Monster Rex... But these rooms should not appear on this early... Something is definitely wrong here..." Asuka said getting down from Jayce and looking around. "We still have to find Ouka, Chigusa, and Mikoto so I think we should carry on and see if we-" Suddenly, the floor began shaking and a guttural growl was heard at the distance. The walls began tearing and a bunch of War Shadows and other monsters flooded the room. A few moments later, they were surrounded by the creatures.

"What is...?!" Jayce asked, backing away as much as he could.

"Monster Party... We are surrounded..." Asuka explained, holding some sort of knives in both of her hands "We will have to push them if we want to escape... But it will be hard... I am afraid I won't be able to protect you with these many monsters..."

"What do you mean, Miss Asuka?"

"Even escaping on my own will be impossible..." Asuka explained, gritting her teeth and getting ready for the battle "At least... We won't die alone... "

Asuka could see them getting closer and closer. She was strong but she couldn't defeat such number on her own... Maybe a level four or level five could take care of them but it was impossible for her. She could at least kill a few of them before she dropped. She sighed and cursed her bad luck but that was the kind of life she chose when she became and Adventurer... She felt extremely guilty Jayce had to die alongside with her. Considering this was his first time in the dungeon, she regretted it ended up this way... She turned around to see him one last time before she rushed into the fray... And saw him carelessly looking for something in his backpack.

"Mister Jayce... What are you doing?"

"Well, seeing our current situation is nothing but dire... I no longer can sit idle and do nothing. I think I might have the solution here somewhere..." He said struggling to reach something deep in the backpack.

"A solution? What can a supporter possibly do?" Asuka asked in disbelief.

"Apparently everything!" Jayce answered with joy "Ah! I found it!" He said pulling some red spheres from inside the backpack "I never actually thought these would be useful... I just brought them because I didn't want to leave them at the workshop. Oh, well! Lucky us!"

"Mister Jayce... What are those?"

"These are Hexplosives!" Jayce explained, showing the small red spheres to Asuka "I crafted them out of boredom... I think I followed Ziggs recipe properly but they may lack the expected output... This will surely be a fine test for these babies!"

"H-Hexplosives? W-What does that even mean?"

"Let me show you!" Jayce said with a reassuring smile and walked confidently towards the monsters.

The creatures kept on getting closer but Jayce did not falter. Along the way, he got rid of the hood concealing him, revealing his armor. Asuka then was able to remember the rumor that began a few weeks ago, the tale of a normal man without a Familia or any other magical ability. A tall man with a dignified and weird demeanor. A strange man that had appeared in Orario one night without anyone even realizing he was there. A weak man that had defeated one of the strongest Adventurers in Orario using a weapon no blacksmith or God could have crafted... Asuka turned around and was able to see the Hammer of Mercury resting in the backpack surrounded by objects she hadn't seen in her entire life... Realization hit her and Asuka focused on Jayce once again...

He was now standing and waiting for the monsters to reach him. He had in his hands the red sphere and some sort of silver stick. Once the monsters were close enough, he began tinkering with the stick until it produced a flame. He then ignited a piece of cloth on the sphere and he threw the thing to the monsters. The sphere fell in front of the and the monsters simply ignored it and continued... Asuka felt the danger and rushed to protect Jayce... She grabbed his hand and pulled...

And it happened...

Asuka was by no means and inexperienced Adventurer. She had descended into the dungeon many times and she had seen many scary and outstanding things. Creatures from her nightmares, wonders from fairy tales... And she had also fought alongside many talented and powerful Adventurers with all sort of skills and strengths...

But she had never in her life seen anything like this...

The small sphere was passed and even stomped by the monsters. It seemed that whatever Jayce had planned failed... Until it happened. The sphere remained there, covered in dirt and ignored... And in the split of a second, it changed. The sphere cracked and a wave of some unknown and cursed fire began soaring the air around it. The flames bit the monsters and turned their bodies into charcoal, the wave created by the explosion broke their bodies and sent the parts flying every way. The fire quickly expanded and reached almost all the monsters in front of Jayce. A pillar shot up and touched the ceiling, making large chunks of debris to fall and crush the monsters that had survived the initial cataclysm...

That was an explosion... An explosion similar to the ones some magicians were capable of creating a long and tedious chant. An explosion comparable with the eruption of a volcano, fire comparable with the ancient dragons, and the strength of the apocalypse... The aftermath of that hell revealed scorched earth and the burnt and unrecognizable remains of the monsters... None of them survived the attack... Around them, the others creatures were static, scared by the initial explosion, the sound, and the light.

"Well... I can say that was a success but Ziggs' Hexplosives are way more powerful than that..." Suddenly, Jayce was once again looking through his back. Asuka didn't even realize when he returned. "I crafted five so I suppose the other four should do the trick on them... Here you go, Miss Asuka." He said, giving her the other four spheres and the silver stick "If you want to use them, you have to ignite the fuse first using the lighter." He explained, showing Asuka how the lighter and the hexplosives work "After you have ignited the fuse, you throw it as fast as you can. Be sure to cover your ears and close your eyes if the light and sound are too strong for you... Okay?"

"Mister Jayce... Wha... What are these? How were you able to do that?" Asuka managed to ask in confusion.

"These are Hexplosives... Well, mostly prototypes. I half-expected them to fail or just create smoke but to achieve such results... Man, I am a genius!" He laughed and returned to the backpack "You can use them while I deal with anything that comes close..."

And there it was, the infamous weapon that had defeated Bete Loga. The Hammer crackled with a strange surge of golden electricity, making Asuka snap out of her daze and blink a few times... It was him after all. The man that had shaken the balance of Orario by defeating and Adventurer stronger than him... It was him.

It was Jayce, the Defender of Tomorrow.

Asuka felt a soft pat on her head and realized Jayce was in front of her smiling.

"Now, now... Be careful and be safe, alright?" Without realizing it, Asuka nodded. "Good girl! Now, leave everything to me!" And he dashed towards the monsters.

...

Asuka would never forget what her eyes saw that day...

Those monsters dangerous monsters that had somehow trapped her... Were falling under the might of that man. Jayce seemed to be playing around as his powerful Hammer obliterated everything that crossed his path. The monsters simply exploded once the hammer came into contact with them, the floor began breaking apart due to the force of the force of the blows and a strange field of electricity protected him from the attacks of the monsters. Then, the hammer became some sort of staff and it began shooting strange orbs of blueish energy, piercing and exploding everything in sight. He began moving with exponential speed and before Asuka knew it, Jayce was overpowering the deadly Monster Party with ease.

"Miss Asuka! Miss Asuka!" She suddenly heard him call for her "Use the Hexplosives! Quick! I don't think I can't stall them anymore! Use the Hexplosives!"

Asuka blinked a few times and nodded. She struggled a bit with the lighter but she was finally able to make it work... And she lit ALL the Hexplosives and threw them at the monsters.

"Wait... You used all of them?!" Jayce asked turning pale "Oh, No! We have to...! We have to run!" Jayce yelled, taking Asuka by the hand, picking his backpack, and running towards the exit at the other side of the room.

The surviving monsters behind them seemed confused by the sudden retreat of the two humans. They remained where they were but after a while, all of them howled dangerously and chased after the humans. While the monsters began their onslaught, the four red spheres were forgotten behind... And slowly but surely, the fuse reached its end...

The spheres exploded...

Asuka turned around just in time to see a gigantic wave of fire swallow the monsters and made way towards them with a terrifying speed. She was able to see the fire burning and disintegrating the bodies of the monsters with ease... It almost made her feel sorry those creatures have met such terrible and merciless destiny... Almost. The fire extended far and wide, reaching the ceiling and everything inside the room... And Jayce and Asuka were the only ones left...

"We are almost there!" She heard Jayce scream over the howling of the fire storm "Just a little bit more!"

And finally, they reached the tunnel. Asuka wanted to catch a breath buy Jayce kept on pulling and running. Suddenly, the fire entered the tunnel and chased after them with greater speed. Asuka could feel the tunnel trembling and the temperature rising. The wave of fire didn't look like it would stop after the tunnel... And it was getting closer and closer quickly.

"Jayce... We can't outrun that storm!" Asuka huffed "We need to do something or we will be killed!"

"I know! I have a plan...! But not yet! We have to get closer...! Or we will fail!"

There were so many options and so many paths... But no matter how hard she tried, Asuka could only see their impending doom. So with no other choice, she chose to trust in that strange man and his strange antics. So she kept running, running and feeling the mortifying fire catching to them in this long and tortuous tunnel. Sweat was dripping all over her body, her lungs were begging for fresh air, and her muscles were crying in pain... But she kept running, so long as his hand pulled hers, she would not give up...

And then...

"Now!" Jayce suddenly yelled, throwing his backpack at the exit of the tunnel.

His hammer shone with blue electricity and transformed into that strange staff. Suddenly, two spheres appeared in front of them and created some sort of blue line made of a strange essence. Then, a strange projectile shot from Jayce's staff and passed that ray of light. The projectile suddenly grew in size and gained more speed. The empowered projectile then collided against the exit of the tunnel, causing the ceiling to fracture and drop small pebbles. Asuka widened her eyes when she realized Jayce's plan... It was a smart idea but they were still far away from the exit... At this rate, they would not be able to make it... But for some strange Asuka couldn't understand, he never stopped smiling with confidence.

They reached the strange line of blue energy and passed it... And all of a sudden, Asuka felt an acceleration in her body and she began running faster. That distance she believed impossible to cover was nothing in the split of a second. Then, Jayce once again carried her in his arms and leaped when he saw the rocks falling and blocking the exit. One moment later, they landed roughly on the other side and the wave of fire was blocked by huge rocks.

Asuka was finally able to breathe in relief. She allowed herself to stay a top of Jayce while she rested for a bit. The strange seemed like he had reached his limit as well, he was gasping for air and grunting in pain. His staff was a few meters away from them, with its unusual glow and strange humming. His backpack had sustained some sort of damage and the contents lay scattered around the room. A few potions she hadn't seen in her life, some tools that looked like they were used for digging, strange magic stones of different colors, food packed in paper, small boxes and a weird and glowing purple orb.

"I suppose... My plan worked..." Jayce grunted while he tried to get up "Oh, lord... I am never coming back here ever again..."

"I am surprised we survived... You are amazing, Jayce!" Asuka exclaimed while she jumped in Jayce's lap happily.

"Y-Yes...! Yes, indee-! Ouch! Yes! Could you not...!?" He managed to speak before Asuka broke his ribs.

"Oh! I'm sorry, Jayce..." Asuka apologized embarrassed and got off Jayce "I was just happy we are alive..."

"Yes, yes. We can celebrate but let us get the hell out of here..." He said getting up carefully and examining his body "Hmph, I didn't sustain any sort of injury aside from bruises... Lucky!" He then looked around and noticed his things scattered all over the place "Ah, man! The backpack was torn and everything is a mess...! Not so lucky, I suppose..." He complained and began gathering his things.

But before he could begin, they heard a loud noise coming from one of the tunnels in the left. Asuka quickly readied herself for battle and Jayce already had his Hammer ready and humming in anticipation. The noises intensified and they could already see shadows coming from the tunnel. It sounded like a bunch of deranged beasts growling and screaming. Asuka tightened her fists and twitched nervously... The monsters were acting strangely as if something had changed the dungeon. Weak monsters she could easily kill in the past were now threats to be reckoned. She wasn't sure what had caused this dangerous boost in their enemies... And at this point. Such things didn't matter since Asuka wasn't sure if they could defeat the incoming enemies in their state. Asuka was tired and she could see Jayce wasn't doing that well... His stance was steady but she could him tremble slightly...

But for some reason, he was still smiling with confidence... And that was enough to fill Asuka with hope.

It seemed like the monsters had finally arrived. Jayce's staff glowed and Asuka could see another projectile forming inside of it... She also smiled and rushed towards the tunnel and...

"Asuka!"

Suddenly, the girl found herself in the ground being hugged tightly by the crying form of her friend Mikoto. She lifted her head a bit and saw Ouka and Chigusa running towards them with wide smiles of relief... Asuka couldn't help but hug Mikoto back and allow a few drops fall from her eyes... She was glad her family was safe... And she was glad she finally found them...

But all of a sudden, Ouka's smile turned into a frown and readied his spear. He was glaring at Jayce with such intensity Asuka almost thought he had gained some sort of intimidating skill... But the champion seemed unfazed by his aggression, he simply lowered his hammer and continued picking his things.

"I'm so happy you are okay, Asuka!" Mikoto kept crying and hugging Asuka "We were so worried... Don't ever do that to us!" She said getting up and pinching Asuka in her cheeks.

"I'm sorry... I won't do it again..." Asuka apologized in shame, Mikoto huffed in approbation and helped Asuka get up. Chigusa smiled shyly and hugged Asuka as well. "Uh... What's wrong, Ouka?" Mikoto asked, realizing Ouka was glaring at Jayce.

"I had this funny feeling ever since he joined us... I knew I had seen him before somewhere... And now I remember. That guy is the man who defeated Bete Loga and Aiz Wallenstein a few weeks ago." He explained, making Chigusa and Mikoto gasp in shock "The guild has been looking for him desperately these days and it seems like he is allied with the Loki Familia... I don't know why everyone is so obsessed with him but I am sure of one thing: He is bad news and we should stay away from him!"

The other girls looked shocked but Asuka simply couldn't understand what was wrong with Jayce. He was a strange man with many secrets but he wasn't evil in any way. Yes, he sometimes acted like a complete lunatic but Asuka didn't see any problem in that...

"That was a bit hurtful, don't you think?" They heard Jayce say while he repaired his backpack "I am not some sort of villain and I mean no harm... I am actually a nice guy!" He explained turning around and smiling.

"Perhaps... But are dangerous and I can't allow any of my friends to endanger themselves because of you!" Ouka exclaimed angered, he then threw a scroll to Jayce "Here... It's the map of this floor. You can use it to get out... We are going on our own." Ouka said huffing and turning around "I know you are not like the other adventurers but you clearly attract the danger... Never speak to us ever again." He added and marched to the girls.

Jayce sighed and shook his head... He couldn't deny Ouka's words because he himself had noticed the events happening around him. By some strange reason, it seemed like Jayce had a talent to find troubles in this new world. Either way... He could consider this a successful mission in essence. He had discovered the dungeon did not hold the materials he was looking for... Well, he did stop at the sixth floor so he didn't know if the materials lied deeper in the dungeon but at this point, he just wanted to go home and never come back. It was simply too dangerous and too bothersome... He would try another thing tomorrow...

"Wait... Asuka! Where do you think you are going?!" He heard Ouka yell.

Jayce turned around to see Asuka standing in front of him with a determined look. He raised an eyebrow and waited... To his surprise, she bowed respectfully.

"Thank you very much for saving me, Mister supporter!" Asuka exclaimed, "I hope you can aid me once again in the future!"

Those words certainly took Jayce by surprise but still smiled and chuckled. "Yes... I also enjoyed our little adventure, Miss Adventurer!" They smiled at each other and Asuka began helping Jayce gather his things.

"Asuka! I told you to come b-!" Ouka tried to scream but Chigusa pulled on his shirt. He stared at the gentle girl and sighed in defeat "I suppose she can help him at least..." Chigusa smiled and Ouka looked away.

After a while, everything was inside Jayce's backpack... Everything except for the strange purple sphere lying at the center of the room. Asuka saw it and lifted the sphere...

But upon touching it... Something happened...

She felt a small shock running all over her body and her back began burning... It happened in the split of a second so it wasn't that painful. She looked left and right in confusion and then...

It began...

The walls and the ceiling cracked just like it did when monsters were spawning... But not a single monster came after them. Instead, the floor began to shake and there was a large explosion somewhere nearby... And then, it appeared...

A hand as big as a house shot from the walls of the dungeon and attempted to trap Asuka. However, Jayce was fast enough to get her out of the way.

"Asuka!" Ouka yelled, running towards them while the ceiling began to collapse on them "What is going on?! What is that thing?!"

"It looks like a Monster-Rex...!" Chigusa exclaimed, dodging a giant boulder aiming for her.

"That's impossible! The early floors don't have a Monster-Rex! And besides, that thing looks as big as the Goliath in the lower floors!"

"It doesn't matter what it is! We have to get out of here!" Mikoto yelled and began rushing towards the exit.

Ouka tried to say something but he was interrupted when Jayce shoved Asuka and his backpack on him, he then turned around and charged a Shock Blast and an Acceleration Gate. The projectile passed the gate and it collided with the gigantic hand, obliterating the limb and sending pieces of debris everywhere. A guttural howl of pain was heard all over the floor, making the Adventurers shiver in fear.

"Run!" Jayce ordered and the Adventurers followed after the champion into the dungeon.

They kept running through the tunnels while they heard that creature chase them. Ouka looked back a few times and was able to see an ancient face covered in mud with crimson eyes and an evil aura. But then, Jayce would shoot him with his staff, making the giant stagger for a few seconds before it kept chasing after them. That continued for a few more minutes until they reached the entrance of the second floor. At the gate, there was a particular adventurer with snowy white hair and crimson eyes and a small hooded figure following him closely.

"You over there! Run!" Ouka yelled, grabbing the attention of the Adventurer and the supporter. The two looked at them confused but once the giant was visible, their faces were twisted in fear and quickly ran through the gate.

Watching those two run made Jayce realize something... There were probably a lot of young adventurers waiting to enter the dungeon just like those two... He was surprised they didn't run into any of them while they were trying to escape but he could guess he would eventually run out of luck... There was only one option left in this situation. He turned to see Asuka and the others running for their lives... They were good children... And worth the sacrifice...

He roughly grabbed the Void Core from Asuka and stayed behind. Asuka tried to stay with him but Ouka pushed her forward... And she disappeared behind the gate. He heard her scream his name...

"It was fun while it lasted, Miss Adventurer..." He whispered to himself "But it's time for this supporter to do his job and save the day!" He claimed, charging his Mercury Cannon and gripping on the Void Core.

The plan was simple... He was going to wait until the last second before he threw the Void Core to the giant. Then, he would shoot the Void Core with a charged Shock Blast, causing an event similar to the one he experienced with Aiz Wallenstein. Jayce was sure his attack would most likely cause a huge explosion that would wipe out the giant... And himself if he wasn't able to escape or find cover in time... But at this point, he was more than ready to face destiny... He was a Piltovian and Piltovians were not afraid of the destiny.

The giant was just close enough and then...

The monster stopped...

...

...

The monster simply stopped and went quiet all of a sudden...

It was just there, staring and Jayce and doing or saying absolutely nothing. The seconds passed but it seemed like all the aggression was gone from the giant. Jayce blinked in confusion as he wasn't sure if he should act according to his plan or wait and see what was the meaning of this singularity...

The giant then opened his mouth and began coughing dust and small rocks... And he talked...

 **-PRO... EUS-**

It said with a raspy and deep voice and he began coughing again.

Jayce blinked in confusion... This creature was clearly sentient if it was able to speak... What's more, it looked like the giant had somehow recognized Jayce... But that couldn't be... That simply couldn't be... It was impossible...

...

"What did you say?" Jayce asked carefully.

The giant focused on Jayce and this time around, he was able to understand the titan perfectly.

 **-FREE US-**

 **-BROTHER-**

The words of the giant made no sense... But Jayce could feel the Void Core pulsing in his hands.

Suddenly, a blast of silver energy hit the giant and it made him scream in agony. Jayce turned around to see a group of figures wearing white robes with staffs in their hands, chanting and shooting spells to the giant. The creature howled in pain and after a while, it returned to the depths of the dungeon. Jayce could still hear him rushing towards the rooms before the dungeon was once again in silence.

In front of him, the group of magicians stepped back and allowed a group of knights wearing armor with the same silver to surround him. The Knights raised their shields and prepared their spears, creating an imposing wall that would certainly make the Emperor of the Sands scoff in jealousy. Jayce did not know what was going on but he could feel their intentions... So he hid the Void Core inside his armor and prepared his Mercury Hammer for the battle...

 _"I wouldn't do that if I were you..."_ Said a voice behind him. Jayce turned around to see a tall and thin figure concealed in a large black robe _"You should realize you can't win against us..."_

"And what makes you sound confident?" Jayce taunted with a cheeky grin.

 _"We are more than you..."_

"Numbers mean nothing against a fed Jayce!" Jayce countered with a laugh, the hooded figure simply tilted his head in confusion "But I do suppose I will not leave this place without a few bruises... So I guess I can be reasonable and just let everything play its part..."

 _"Wise choice..."_ The hooded figure said and nodded. The Knights lowered their shields and spears but kept surrounding Jayce _"I am Fels and I have come for you, Mister Jayce..."_ Jayce couldn't help but whistle _"You shouldn't be surprised... You have made quite the impact in the Adventurers and the normal denizens of Orario... It was a matter of time before the higher-ups noticed your presence... But coming to the dungeon was a stupidity. Only Adventurers may pass and head into the depths of Babel..."_

"It was a simple field trip... Nothing else." Jayce explained himself with an innocent smile.

 _"Either way... The rules are the rules... And now, you must come with me and explain this to my master..."_

"And who could that be? The head of the guild? Some high-ranking god? Who is it?" Jayce asked with interest.

 _"Both..."_ Fels answered, walking towards the Knights _"Normally if an Adventurer commits a transgression, they are sent to the court to face a judge and a jury... But you are not an Adventurer... In fact, you aren't even a denizen of this world... So you will have a meeting with the highest authority... You shall meet Ouranos, the God of the Sky and the supreme ruler of Orario."_


	6. Chapter 6 - Prophecy

**VI**

 **Prophecy.**

Royman Mardeel was a simple man...

He liked money...

Valis, gold, silver, diamonds, fields, stock... It really didn't matter, everything in this world could be quantified, qualified, and given a proper price. Elves, humans, Amazoness, Boaz, Cat People, Chienthrophes, Dwarves, Hume Bunnies, Pallums, Racoons, Renards, Spirits, Weretigers, Werewolves, and even the infamous monsters of the dungeon had already been classified according to their worth as resources... Yes, Royman was indeed a greedy and simple man. He was eternally grateful to the gods that had brought such marvelous system to this brutish and uncivilized world.

Ah, the gods! Those seemingly and beautiful beings came down from their glorious abode, bringing forth knowledge and a chance to change for the unworthy and dirty denizens of the surface. As a member of the honorable elven race, Royman had lived for more than a hundred years, watching how the tides in Orario change and how the new system featuring the ruling gods. All those weak denizens of the surface were suddenly given powers to protect themselves and change the world. Even those dirty mongrels with mixed blood were given a chance to prove they were more than just servants or cattle... How unsightly, indeed... Those inferior beings should already learn their place and stay out of the way!

Once he became the head of the guild, Royman was sure he would surely enjoy peaceful days filled with luxury and opulence... It didn't matter if his fellow comrades called him the 'Guild's pig'. He had worked hard for this position and he was not going to give up just for that. The Gods had secured his future and no one or nothing could defy the will of the gods...

Nothing could... Or at least, that was what he wanted to believe.

...

Royman was also a hardworking and honest man...

Despite his awful attitude, he had earned his position after years of struggling. He always made sure to complete his duties with excellence and in time. The presiding God Ouranos never complained about his work... Royman was perfect in his job... He never committed mistakes...

So that was why he couldn't stop trembling in fear while he waited in the Room of Prayers.

The great God of the Skies was sitting on his throne under the Guild, meditating with his eyes closed and breathing slowly. Even if Royman couldn't see it, he could feel the pressure created by the sleeping anger of the god. Royman was panicking and he was recalling what could have caused such event. Maybe it had to do with the strange creatures in the dungeon, maybe it was the failure at the Monster Feria... There other problems, especially regarding the current state of affairs with Rakia and the incoming war... Royman began biting his nails nervously... He had only seen Ouranos angry two times in his life...

He never wanted to go through the same experience ever again...

In order to calm his nerves, he began examining the room, trying to find the source of Ouranos' anger. He saw a few guards at the door, trembling just like him. Fels was waiting in front of Ouranos and he seemed completely fine with the environment... Nothing looked out of the ordinary... Then, what was it...? What was causing such pressure... What was...?"

"Are we done here...? I am kind of busy..." Royman blinked in disbelief... He wasn't sure why but he hadn't noticed the strange man sitting on the floor, carelessly yawning and scratching his head. He seemed completely unaware of the situation. "I mean... I've been here for an hour and nothing is really happening... I am on a tight schedule and I can't possibly waste any more time in-"

"How dare you speak that way in front of our god, Ouranos?!" Royman couldn't resist anymore and exploded "You should feel honored you were allowed in this holy room!"

"Oh...! Hi there! I didn't know you were there...!" The man said getting up, walking towards Royman, and shaking his hand "I am glad I have someone to speak with! I've been trying to chat with that weird cloak dude but he is extremely shy... He keeps ignoring me and I was getting really bored... Oh! I am Jayce, by the way!"

"I am Royman Mardeel and I couldn't care less about you and your vulgar mouth! I don't really know how can you speak that way in front of our Lord Ouranos but I will not-?!"

"Silence."

His voice seemingly quiet resounded around the room with power. Royman lost his voice and couldn't help but kneel in fear... He was right. Something had angered the God of the Skies... Royman didn't dare to look in his direction, afraid of being harmed by the fury Ouranos was irradiating... He looked to the side to see if that foolish man had cowered like him...

But what Royman saw struck him in shock.

Jayce was still standing tall and proud... In fact, he was even grinning confidently at Ouranos. It seemed like the pressure coming from the God was completely ignored by Jayce... As if he had met the same kind of nature in his entire life. Ouranos also noticed this peculiar interaction and furrowed his brow. The human and the God kept glaring at each other until the door was roughly opened behind them and two peculiar Goddesses entered the room.

"What is the meaning of this, Ouranos?" A red-haired woman wearing a patch over her right eye said with a frown. "Why have you summoned us without any prior notice?"

"By the looks of it, I bet it's something fun!" The other goddess was no other than Loki herself. She immediately noticed Jayce and Ouranos glaring at each other and smiled sheepishly "Oh, dear... The cat is out of the bag, I suppose..."

"Loki... You were behind this, weren't you?" Ouranos asked without looking away from Jayce.

"Kind of... I just happen to stumble on him one fine night and I decided to take care of him until he finds his way." Loki said shrugging with a grin. "Hello, Jayce!" The goddess greeted the champion.

"Hello, Goddess Loki..." Jayce said without looking at her "I am sorry we had to meet again under these conditions..."

"I still don't understand why was I summoned..." The other goddess complained, crossing her arms.

 _"Allow me to explain the situation, Lady Hephaestus..."_ Fels said bowing respectfully to the goddess _"This man called Jayce has been caught breaking the rules by entering the dungeon when he himself does not belong to any Familia... We are aware that sort of offense shouldn't be enough to call for an official meeting... But Goddess Loki covered him and even had you involved in this incident..._ "

"Wait, what...?! I haven't met this man in my entire life...!"

 _"One of your Smithies was requested by the Loki Familia to house Mister Jayce... I believe it was a personal favor and not a business affair..."_

"LOKI!" Hephaestus yelled, grabbing Loki by the shoulders and shaking her roughly "You said you wanted some abandoned shack so one of your children could work in peace! I never agreed on housing a dangerous criminal! What have you done, Loki?!"

"I-I didn't lie...! I didn't lie...!" Loki managed to say while Hephaestus continued shaking her "He really needed a workshop! I didn't lie...!"

"You said it was for a member of your Familia! Not some random child you picked on the streets!"

"Technically all the members of my Familia are children I picked from the street... Let's just say he is a work in progress!" Loki explained with a small smile.

"LOKI!" Hephaestus yelled strangling Loki.

Royman couldn't believe the nerve these Goddesses had to display such rude behavior in front of Ouranos. Well, he couldn't really say anything since he has been kneeling ever since the reunion began but he was trying to at least be respectful! It wasn't like he would actually try to intervene between the Goddesses but he would at least try to settle things up... He continued mumbling to himself until he noticed something incredibly terrifying...

That man called Jayce was... Chuckling...

Despite him being the main problem of the discussion, he was laughing...

After a while, the others noticed his laughter and stared at him in confusion and shock. Jayce simply ignored them and continued laughing as if he had heard or discovered something extremely funny... He kept grinning and giggling for a few more seconds until he was finally able to control himself...

"Care to explain what's so funny?" Ouranos asked grimly

"Are you seriously asking me that?" Jayce countered with a grin "I am sure you yourself have realized what is going on, haven't you?" The God didn't answer "We are here... A reunion with the greatest authority in Orario just to discuss the trespassing of a simple human like me! All of this for little ol' me! And even if we take into account the fraud made by Loki... It's still not enough! Why would there be a need for me to be here? I can tell not even the strongest Adventurers are allowed inside this Room of Prayers... Why was I not judged by my equals? Why... Are you trying so hard to hide the truth, huh?"

...

...

"What...?" Hephaestus was the first one to ask.

"That hooded guy said it himself... An Adventurer would be sent to a court with a judge and a jury... But I am not an Adventurer, I am a normal human. Why am I here when not even Adventurers are allowed? Why would the Supreme God of Orario be needed to deal with me? _"_ Jayce grinned and stepped forward, "I think... There are things the people in Orario do NOT need to know... Right, Ouranos? Especially if that THING is not from this world..."

The room was plunged in silence... Hephaestus was looking from Jayce to Ouranos without being able to understand what was going on. Loki simply seemed completely absorbed in their conversation... She never stopped smiling and that scared Hephaestus. Loki and Hephaestus had never had that good of a friendship like Hephaestus did with Hestia, but the Red-haired Goddess knew Loki well enough to understand just how dangerous the Trickster Goddess was when there was something she wanted to possess... In this case, the man that was boldly standing against Ouranos without fear or doubt.

The God simply sighed and continued glaring at Jayce...

"What is your objective, child?" Ouranos asked.

"I want to return home."

"You are not from this world... How are you planning to return?"

"I have a few theories and ideas but those plans require time and resources. Securing that workshop was the first step but I need supplies so I can conduct my experiments." Jayce continued, crossing his arms "I entered the dungeon thinking I could find such resources but it seems I was mistaken... The dungeon is nothing but a nest of monsters and..." He suddenly hesitated.

"And what?" Ouranos asked with interest.

"Nothing... Just a mirage, I suppose..." Jayce answered but the God could tell he was lying "Either way, it was my fault for intruding when it was clear I was not allowed to do so... I have learned my lesson and it won't happen again. I will also be sure to find another way to get my supplies without causing troubles..." The God didn't seem convinced at all but nodded anyways "Good... Then, I guess I should leave... So... Would you kindly return my things to me?" Jayce asked with a kind grin. Ouranos blinked an nodded to Fels. Behind them, three knights came carrying Jayce's backpack and the Mercury Hammer. The left the backpack and the Hammer in front of Ouranos and waited for orders. Jayce tried to retrieve his things but the Knights stopped him from advancing any further. "Geez... And here I expected things would go smoothly..." Jayce sighed in disappointment.

"Hephaestus... Come..." Ouranos called. The Goddess shivered a little bit but obeyed and carefully approached the throne "I want you to examine this weapon... Tell me your thoughts..."

Hephaestus gulped and nodded... If she was honest with herself, she was deadly scared of the current situation. One thing was being under suspicion of housing a dangerous criminal but this was completely different. She couldn't really explain why but there was something in Ouranos that made her feel insecure and afraid. She had never seen him act like this... Not even when both Zeus and Hera fell in the depths of the dungeon... That man called Jayce must have done something worse than that... And Hephaestus didn't want to have anything to do with it. Especially if Loki was so interested in him...

She carefully approached the Hammer... And all of a sudden, everything disappeared. Her worries, her fears, and even her anger vanished in thin air when her eye was placed on the brilliant artifact. Hephaestus had seen many powerful and incredible weapons, some of those legendary treasures were crafted by her children and by herself. Hephaestus even had experience with the works of other gods... But this weapon... This was a work of art.

It was a hammer... Or at least, that was what Hephaestus could tell from the shape of the weapon. It had strange colors and some shiny elements not even her could replicate with her ability. Even if it was a blunt and brutish weapon, Hephaestus couldn't deny the beauty of the design... She carefully traced the handle and found herself struck in awe. It was made of a metallic material she hadn't seen or even heard about in her entire life. Her fingers carefully caressed every nook and cranny of the handle, feeling a stream of energy moving alongside the handle... It was as if the metal was a living being. Hephaestus kept moving until she finally touched the head of the hammer.

At first, she believed the dimensions of the head would make the whole construction unstable and fragile... But once her fingertips touched the smooth surface, she realized how wrong she was. The material was strong, hard and tough. Her experience as a Smith allowed Hephaestus to discern the true power of the outstanding weapon in front of her, there were a few weapons and armors that could be comparable to this level of mastery... The closest one was the 'Desperate' crafted by the God Goibniu himself... But there was something strange...

The Hammer was impressive, one of the most impressive weapons Hephaestus had seen in her long life... And that Hammer... Was not crafted by Gods. Hephaestus couldn't feel a single bit of divinity or magic inside the hammer... Instead... Hephaestus found something else...

Her fingers finally reached the core of the Hammer...

Suddenly, Hephaestus felt a jolt moving over her fingers and coursing all over her arm. She tried to get away but a strange force had captured her body... She grew panicked and scared, unable to voice her current problem. Her eye moved left and right but nobody seemed to realize her situation... But she did notice him... He was smiling behind the knights... Not in mockery or in arrogance... It was a reassuring smile...

And Hephaestus felt it... The magic coming from the Hammer... It wasn't like the divine powers or the arts of the Adventurers or any of the races in the world... It was something more primal... Something more simple and pure...

It was calling for her...

No... It was more than that...

It sang to her...

"Hephaestus..." The booming voice of Ouranos got her out of her trance. The Goddess blinked and shook her head, she was once again able to move but her fingers were still glued on the Hammer "What have you discovered?"

"I... I..." Hephaestus stuttered, unsure if those secrets were meant to be revealed. She gazed at Jayce and his wink told her what had to be done. "I think this is by far, one of the most outstanding weapons I have ever seen in my life. It may look like a blunt Hammer but it possesses qualities I haven't seen or even believe were possible... It is both flexible and quite light..." Hephaestus said, picking up the Hammer "But I can't tell it would take a bit of effort to even scratch the smooth surface. I don't think I have seen a weapon with the same features..." Hephaestus added, swinging the Hammer left and right "I am also curious about the colors but that is a simple matter of aesthetics..." The Hammer hummed quietly in Hephaestus' hands and she couldn't help but smile "I would like to meet the God who crafted this heavenly treasure..."

"I see... Is that all?" Ouranos asked.

The Goddess stared right into the God's eyes. She could see the fury hiding behind those blue eyes... But she had already made her choice "No. It sure is an outstanding weapon but I ignore how it works..." It had been faint... But Hephaestus had heard the voice of something singing for her. Something this world was not ready to witness just yet.

"Is that so? Very well... Before I let you go, I want to answer a few questions, human." Ouranos spoke to Jayce "Who was the God that crafted your weapon and how did you get it?"

"Oh, my! I have been called many things back in the day... Genius, hero, prodigy... But 'GOD'...! That sure is a first! I am even blushing!" Jayce answered with a grin.

"Are you implying you crafted this weapon?" Ouranos asked with a frown.

"With my own two hands," Jayce answered with a wide and condescending smile. Ouranos huffed and snapped his fingers, a bright light surrounded Jayce and created an orb above him. The orb hovered until it landed in Ouranos hand "Well... That was interesting..."

"I find it hard to believe you were able to create such impressive weapon when you are not even an Adventurer..." The orb in his hand flickered and displayed a bunch of glyphs Jayce couldn't understand.

"You can say whatever you want but the evidence is undeniable" Jayce claimed with a smug smile "I created that weapon by myself!"

"Alone? The most powerful weapons from this world were crafted by gods... It is impossible for a normal human to create something as outstanding as those treasures..."

" 'Impossible'?!" Jayce snorted "That is but an excuse given by the idiots who can't do a thing... I have never needed the help of any God and I will never do!"

"We have guided the denizens of the surface from the very beginning. We gave them protection and the strength to fight the dangers of the dungeon... You are no different than them... You are just another weak and foolish human!" Ouranos boomed in fury.

"Well... Then I suppose it's time to make a stand."

...

...

Royman Mardeel had dealt with many crises in all his years as the head of the Guild. He was one of the key members during the incident with the Zeus and Hera Familias. He could still remember when the other Adventurers brought the Remnants of the deceased from the depths of the dungeon... He was also dealing with Rakia and the unusual incidents that are taking place on Orario the past few days. And as the head of the Guild, he was also aware of the opposing force against the Gods.

Of course, that so-called revolution was nothing but the tantrum of a small group of stupid people that couldn't really deal with the fact that they were not chosen to serve the Gods. It was an unpopular movement and at this point, it was more like a joke used in parties or something like that. What's more, Royman didn't really spare any resources in such matter since the Adventurers could deal with the 'Riots'...

But suddenly, those empty threats and jokes became something real. Everything those 'stupid people that couldn't really deal with the fact that they were not chosen to serve the Gods' began representing a bigger problem in Royman's mind. Until now, the rioters could only pull pranks... Nobody really paid attention to them... But that man... That man was dangerous... He could ignite the revolution with his ideals and his peculiar artifacts...

Until now, all the rioters were afraid of the Gods...

But that man...

That man feared no God.

...

"Now, now! There is no need to be this nervous!" The Trickster of Heaven danced between the God and the Human, defusing the situation "Getting all riled up for no reason! I think this has been a serious misunderstanding!" She turned around and grinned at Ouranos "And besides... Jayce is my responsibility after all! I promised I would help him return home!"

"Loki... You do realize if he commits a crime, you will be punished alongside, don't you?" Ouranos said carefully.

"I know... And I am completely okay with that..." Loki answered patting Jayce's chest "I promise I will see this matter until the end."

Ouranos glared at Loki but said nothing. The glyphs above the orb disappeared and a flame ignited a top of Ouranos hand. The God inspected the flame and after a while, he sighed and dispelled the flame. He stared at Jayce and then at Loki and Hephaestus "I see... I hope you keep your promise, Loki... I will let him go this time with a warning... But next time he breaks the rules, I will let him taste divine punishment..." Jayce snorted and looked away "You can take your belongings and leave. Royman will take you outside... We shall meet again, Jayce." Ouranos ended.

"I'm sure we will, Ouranos" Jayce countered with a cheeky grin.

"B-But my Lord...! You can't possibly...?!" Royman tried to argue but a glare from the God made him shiver in fear "I... As you wish, My Lord..." The old elf bowed and walked towards the doors. "What are you waiting for? Hurry up!" Royman yelled to Jayce.

Jayce glanced at Ouranos before he picked his Hammer and went to the door. He briefly smiled to Hephaestus and Loki before he was gone. The room went silent while the God mumbled to himself, Loki was still smiling and Hephaestus began wondering if she could already leave... Ouranos sighed and snapped his fingers.

"You will have to keep an eye on him, Loki... That man is more dangerous than you think." Ouranos mused.

"I know he is... Aside from being a different world, he is not intimidated by us. Not even a powerful God like you can make him kneel in servitude... I can't wait to see what kind of wonderful things he has in store for me!" Loki said with a grin "He is bound to shake things a bit here in Orario!"

"You still don't get it..." Ouranos continued. Loki frowned and stood in front of the God "I admit he might be hiding incredible secrets. His Hammer and the artifacts he had in his backpack were certainly outstanding. I am sure he comes from a world far more advanced than us... But that is not important. What matters is this..." Ouranos said summoning a flame in his hand "I am sure you two recognize this spell, don't you?"

"I do... It is an exploratory spell. It allows the God to see the potential in an Adventurer before they join the Familia" Hephaestus explained, "I think I few Familias use it in order to choose the best Adventurers..."

"I don't use... It is kind of boring!" Loki commented with a sigh "Knowing the limits of the children is a complete waste! It is more fun to see what kind of heights they can achieve without a biased judgment."

"You words carry truth... But there are cases where is better to know than to regret your choices later on..." Ouranos said, crushing the flame "You have certainly chosen a dangerous man, Loki..."

"W-What do you mean...?"

"Eighteen."

"Wha... Eighteen...? What do you mean with Eighteen...?"

"Should Jayce join a Familia, that would be his Level: Eighteen."

"T-That... That cannot... I-It's... It's impossible!" Hephaestus finally managed to say "How can that ridiculous thing be even possible?! The strongest Adventurer in Orario is a level Seven! What's more, those stupid and false rumors about a level Ten being born in Rakia sound more possible that a level Eighteen! It makes absolutely no sense! How can that... That has to be-"

" 'Impossible'?" Ouranos asked, lifting a brow "It is about time we establish that the impossible does not exist. Of course, this will only be possible if Jayce joins any Familia... Until that, he is still a normal and weak human. Sooner or later, the news about his feats will spread around Orario and even around Rakia and the other cities in the world... And as we know, Gods are greedy beings... I want to think there is a way to solve that problem but we know there is not. Ares will probably march here with his army and will sacrifice Rakia for the sake of owning Jayce. The Morrigans have been awfully quiet but I can only imagine the plans they have been plotting. There are rumors about Set working with Rakia and even our dignified and wise Athena is growing tired of these peaceful times... For now, the only Gods that know Jayce's true potential are here in this room... But I am afraid it won't take long before the quarrels begin." The Goddesses remained quiet, both wearing shocked expressions. "Loki, you said you can protect him but I think it would be for the best if Hephaestus helps you this time around... That is all. You are dismissed." The unexpected turn of events left the goddesses in a daze. They didn't know what to do or how to react but after a few minutes, both of them bowed and left the room with unsure steps.

The God sighed and did something he hadn't done in many years... He slumped tiredly in his throne. He remained quiet and unmoving as his old eyes gazed upon things no mortal could see or understand... How long had it been ever since he felt this agitated and tired? First, Hades defects and escapes without saying where he was going... Then Hera and Zeus were defeated in the dungeon... Ouranos began to wonder if he was finally growing old...

How stupid...

At the side, his servant waited for the God's orders. Fels was not used to seeing the mighty God of the Skies so... Vulnerable... He had heard everything so he could sort of understand the gravity of the situation but even like that... Ouranos was a God... The Supreme God of Orario...

 _"You look unsettled..."_ Fels whispered cautiously. Ouranos didn't answer. " _I accept the human is indeed strange and even deviant... But I can't understand why his words could have this sort of effect in you. He is not even an Adventurer..._ " Fels hesitated a second, unsure if he was overstepping his boundaries but continued anyways " _Why...? Why are you scared of him?_ "

He regretted his words. The floor began to shake and Fels was unable to move as the fury of the God kept him in place. He had only seen Ouranos' fury twice in his life. The first was when Zeus disobeyed his orders and stole a precious item from the dungeon, and the second was when the news about the demise of both the Hera and Zeus Familia came. Fels could feel how his soul began to shatter inside of his body, the pain was unbearable but the fear had frozen him in place. He could only watch in horror as the wrath of Ouranos boiled like a volcano.

"I do not expect you to understand my reasons, Human" The anger in Ouranos' words almost made Fels faint "Your words only show just how immature you really are... What that man said can only be described with a single word: Heresy. That man stands against everything we the Gods represent for this world and the society we have created for the denizens of the surface..." Suddenly, the pressure began to diminish "But I can't deny your words... Because that human represents the worst scenario we could have encountered..."

" _W-What do you mean?_ " Fels managed to ask over the pain he was feeling.

"Long before the Gods decided to descend into the earthly realm, a prophecy was created. On that day, the Oracles of Pythia, Dodona and Trophonius began crying and screaming in terror. None of us was sure what was the reason regarding that incident... Their deranged shrieks made no sense... But among the madness, there was one word that repeated itself over and over again... A name some gods took as a joke, some others became excited about it... And some others learned to fear in silence... The name of one of those creatures that my son lead against the gods during the great holy war. The race of wretched monsters devoided of sense and mercy, horrors born from my own nightmares and fears... The name of the Titan was... Prometheus, the Challenger."

" _That... That cannot be true...!_ " Fels exclaimed in horror " _The Titans were defeated during the great war named the Titanomachia and were banished from this realm!_ "

"That is correct. Chronos and the other Titans were vanquished into the Tartarus where they would spend the rest of eternity trapped in a cage of fire. Their tales were forever erased and no mortal is aware of their existence... But there lies the problem. Even though the records were destroyed under Zeus' orders, I was able to protect and hide some of those books. The name 'Prometheus' was never mentioned during the war... Prometheus never fought on the Titanomachia... In fact, he was never born."

" _You... You can't possibly think... That man cannot be...!_ "

"But he is... My study suggests that his current level is Eighteen, something impossible in this realm. His body has been bathed in the blood of dragons, demons and gods alike. He possesses knowledge about things neither I or the other Gods have even heard of... If he were to join any Familia, the Falna would unlock his true potential. He would become the strongest entity in this world. Stronger than monsters, stronger than Adventurers, stronger than even gods and demons... He will lead the extremist party that thinks like him and he will surely conquer Orario by killing every Adventurer that stands against him. After he is done with us, he will most likely destroy Rakia... And after Ares is defeated, Prometheus will finally have the means to free the Titans and Chronos from the Tartarus... The Titanomachia will once again be unleashed upon this world... But this time, I don't think we will be able to defeat them... The only option left will be..."

" _No... You can't possibly use 'The Deluge'... That cannot be the only way..._ "

"Perhaps, but I will not endanger the safety of this world. Chronos and the Titans cannot be allowed to roam freely in this world again..." Ouranos' eyes focused on something Fels couldn't see "But until I am perfectly sure that man is the Titan of the prophecy, I want you to keep him under watch. He cannot be left alone by any means. Loki and Hephaestus will surely also guard him as they know his true potential... That man cannot contact the extremist party in Orario or even that annoying Ares. Fels, if you think he has become a danger for the Gods and the Adventurers... Kill him."

* * *

 **Well, hello there...**

 **It has been a while, hasn't it?**

 **First of all, I would like to apologize for taking so long. I've been busy and I haven't been able to upload properly... Sowwy!**

 **Secondly, I would like to apologize again for not finishing the stories... I always let them halfway before I start a new project... I promise I will upload more consistently...**

 **And for last, thank you so much for following my stories... If you liked the story or you feel like there is something I should add or erase feel free to review... It helps a lot.**

 **:3**


	7. Chapter 7 - It's like Magic

**VII**

 **It's like magic**

 _..._

 _..._

 _The howling gale grazed her skin..._

 _Her twisted and horrific visage..._

 _Chained by her peers in the mountain above the clouds..._

 _Imprisoned by the lying God of the vine..._

 _Her only eye witnesses the stars..._

 _Tears begin falling as she knows this is not her place..._

 _The voices of the other Gods are like blades piercing her ears..._

 _..._

 _Ah..._

 _The miserable Goddess of the Blacksmiths..._

 _Trapped in her throne within the Olympus..._

 _..._

 _..._

 _But it changes..._

 _Everything changes while she stays the same..._

 _The chaotic world below her feet is different..._

 _It amuses her..._

 _It might even be worth the trouble..._

 _She is still chained but she can now stand alongside the other Gods and Goddesses..._

 _Hiding her curse, she walks the path..._

 _And now..._

 _She stands above with her peers..._

 _Brilliant figures of hope and power..._

 _Below her, she can see the children flocking around them..._

 _Golden bodies blessed with the fervor of the Gods..._

 _The light reaches far and wide..._

 _She looks up and sees a great fire..._

 _Showing the way for the chosen ones..._

 _Shining with the flames of the Falna..._

 _..._

 _..._

 _But down there..._

 _Where the light can't reach..._

 _They move..._

 _..._

 _The abandoned..._

 _The unworthy..._

 _The cursed..._

 _The lonely children of Gaia..._

 _Nobody sees their suffering..._

 _Colorless bastards with no purpose..._

 _They walk aimlessly in the great land..._

 _Waiting for their inevitable end..._

 _Crying in fear..._

 _Yelling in frustration..._

 _Powerless..._

 _Their pleas fall into the darkness..._

 _And the Gods forget about them..._

 _..._

 _..._

 _..._

 _The earth splits..._

 _The oceans tremble..._

 _The stars flicker..._

 _And in the horizon..._

 _He marches..._

 _A gigantic and terrible figure..._

 _An old nightmare..._

 _The Gods and Goddesses growl in anger..._

 _The golden children cower in fear..._

 _And the miserable Goddess can't do anything but watch..._

 _Lightings rain from the skies..._

 _Spikes shot up from the soil..._

 _Magma runs in the rivers and oceans..._

 _..._

 _But nothing can stop the giant..._

 _His black and horrifying body is impenetrable..._

 _He simply ignores the aggression..._

 _And now..._

 _He is standing in front of Mount Olympus..._

 _The Gods and Goddesses attempt to defeat him one last time..._

 _..._

 _..._

 _But their efforts are useless..._

 _The miserable Goddess watches as the giant breaks the fortress of the Gods..._

 _And she witnesses how the giant takes the holy fire in his grotesque hand..._

 _..._

 _And then..._

 _The giant smiles..._

 _And leaves with the light in his hands..._

 _..._

 _..._

Hephaestus blinks and gasps for air... Prophetic dreams and the such have never been within her area of expertize. Besides, she wasn't sure if that delusion could be considered a dream, it was more like a nightmare ignited by the recent events. Outside, she could see the familiar buildings she had built many decades ago when she first descended on the surface. Old structures made by inexperienced hands... But they still filled Hephaestus nostalgic happiness. Back in the day, she lived in constant fear and panic. She was well aware of her own disfigurement... Aside from Hestia, nobody else had seen what hid behind her eye-patch. Maybe Ouranos and some of the eldest Gods knew but they said nothing... Hestia, the eldest Gods... And him. Hephaestus wasn't sure if their meeting was a blessing or the act of some misfortune God but she was entirely grateful for it. She bared her true self to him... And he accepted everything...

Ah...

Welf...

She really missed him...

"Ho! Ho! Thinking about a man, I see... You naughty girl!" Her companion mocked with a giggle. Hephaestus sighed and glared at Loki... She would have to remember not to show her feelings in front of her. Especially if they were together like this. "Now, now... You don't have to give me that look! You may be a Goddess but you are also a woman! Even I can understand you... Once you have met the right man, you will never stop..." Loki said, biting her lip.

"You sound like Freya"

"I guess... I have to admit I never understood why she was always chasing men... Or even women when she was in heat!" Loki snorted "But now, it is crystal clear..."

"Nonsense..." Loki huffed.

"Aw... Our little Hephaestus is embarrassed about her feelings... So cute!" Loki cooed with a grin "I would like to know what kind of man would steal your heart?"

"Not the kind you would be interested in..."

"Is that so...? But to be honest, I have never heard you speak about him in any way... Like, when Freya and Demeter become drama queens and start gossiping during the parties, you never say anything. Even Artemis becomes a giggling teenager... Well, she IS a teenager but my point is... You are either too embarrassed to speak about him or..." Suddenly, Loki's grin widened "Or maybe you can't..." Hephaestus trembled slightly "So... He is a human, huh? A member of your Familia, maybe...?" Hephaestus crossed her arms and looked away "Ho... I always thought you more than anybody else had our boundaries as Gods defined... But I do suppose you are still a woman in the end..." Hephaestus could feel the cold sweat running down her spine "Oh, well! I got to hear something nice so I won't bully you anymore... But I do expect a **good** explanation later!" Loki finished, sitting by Hephaestus.

"You are impossible..." Hephaestus was willing to tell the story to her friends... But Loki wasn't one of them. In fact, Hephaestus didn't want to tell that mischevious Goddess anything. Loki was known for playing awful pranks when she was bored.

"Lady Hephaestus! Lady Loki! We are almost there!" The chauffeur of the carriage announced.

"About damn time! My back hurts thanks to these damn roads!" Loki complained.

After a few seconds, the carriage finally stopped. The chauffeur opened the door and gingerly helped the Goddesses. He was a common man with no relation with the Adventures, a simple man that earned money by working hard, a humble man that did his best for his wife and children...

A man just like Jayce...

Hephaestus still couldn't believe that crazy man represented such danger for Orario and the rest of the world. But more than that, it was his attitude. He walked with a confidence she hadn't seen before... Not even the strongest Adventurers dared to walk that way in front of the Gods. Of course, Freya did hold Ottar in check but that Adventurer respected all the other Gods. Jayce was different...

Hephaestus sighed and wondered what she did to deserve this... Then, her anger boiled when she remembered it was all thanks to the stupid Goddess that was happily hopping towards the last smithy in the row. Hephaestus had to use all her self-control to not strangle Loki... Now she could understand why Hestia was against anything Loki did... Hephaestus should have listened to Hestia before.

"Hey, Loki... Why are you so interested in Jayce?" It was a stupid question. Hephaestus knew very well that troublesome Goddess loved troublesome things.

"It's because it looks like fun...!" Figures, Loki was incredibly simple-minded "That is what I would have said if I haven't met Jayce..." Loki stopped and looked at the sky "Tell me, Hephaestus... Don't you think this world is... Stuck?" The Goddess didn't answer "It's all the same... The Adventurers go into the dungeon and we watch over their feats. Yes, there would be times when the Adventures will 'save the day' and become heroes... But that's it! I can't really explain it... But it all feels... Incomplete... And then, one magical night this strange man suddenly appears and beats the shit out of Bete! I simply couldn't believe my eyes or my senses... A normal and weak human... Defeated Bete... All of a sudden, a new gate filled with possibilities opened in front of me. What if the other powerless denizens of the surface could follow his steps, huh? What kind of glory would they achieve...? Don't tell me you haven't felt it too, Hephaestus." Loki said, turning around and smiling "I don't think he can change the world but he can become the stepping stone for something amazing... And I want to see that..." Loki finished with a wide grin.

...

Certainly...

That was one way of viewing the current situation but Loki was simply ignoring the problem. Even if her words were true, Jayce represented a danger to the society just like Ouranos had claimed... But even then, Hephaestus couldn't forget the song from back then. It was a melodious voice telling her a forgotten story. Something akin to the spirits but more magnificent and glorious. Hephaestus was not able to understand the message and that made her feel anxious. There were few things Gods couldn't understand... Most of them meant danger but there was something different this time around...

Hephaestus wanted to know...

Not because she was bored or because it was interesting...

It felt like...

Destiny...

...

In front of her, she could see the Sun setting in the horizon behind the mountains. It all felt extremely harmonious and right... This nostalgic parade filled with the remnants of the beginnings of her Familia. It all comes back in the end. It hadn't changed that much, it was still the same old shack Hephaestus gave Tsubaki many decades ago... Well, minus the overwhelming amount of garbage at the sides...

...

Wait a minute...

Why is there so much rubbish, huh? It... It looked like a dump! Hephaestus was sure they have cleaned the place before they left to their new base! And she knew it had been a few years ever since... But how was this possible?! Pieces of twisted metal, broken wooden parts, chunks of ceramic, strips of paper and even shattered glass... Wha... What was the meaning of this?! This shack was the beginning of the Hephaestus Familia... And that lowly human dared to soil that beautiful memory like this!? Unforgivable! Hephaestus was not going to allow such insult to her and her Familia! Her eye twitched in anger and she marched towards the smithy... Human or devil, that stupid man was going to pay for this...

"H-Hey...! What's the hurry?! Why are you suddenly mad?! Hey! What's wrong?!" Loki asked behind Hephaestus but she ignored her.

She reached the door and knocked vigorously on it but nobody answered. Hephaestus peeked through the window but she was only able to see the shapes of some strange artifacts and a peculiar yellow glow at the room in the back. She huffed in frustration and knocked again but nobody answered.

"I think he went out... Probably to eat!" Loki tried to calm her down "Maybe we should go and look for him in the city! I've heard he is often seen at the 'Hostess of Fertility' so how about we...!"

"Shut up, Loki!" Hephaestus ordered angered, Loki immediately quiet down and lifted her hands in precaution "I don't really care how precious that man is to you... I will make him suffer if he soils my property with his idiocy! I promise you I will-" Suddenly, there was a huge explosion and a pillar of light rose behind the smithy "Wha-What is that madman doing?!" Hephaestus screamed and ran towards the pillar with Loki behind her.

They were greeted by a thick curtain of smoke covering almost their whole field of view. Hephaestus calmed her nerves and slowly walked into the smoke, she advanced carefully and making sure where she was standing. If her memory was right, there was an old and empty wheel somewhere nearby and a tree to her left. She saw a thick silhouette at the distance and recognized it as the tree, so that meant the wheel was...

But then, Hephaestus tripped on something and fell to the ground. She grunted in exasperation and left out a small curse as she turned around to see the cause of her fall... Suddenly, she felt her blood freeze in her veins when she recognized the shape of a body. Hephaestus screamed and crawled over the ground, getting away as fast and far as she could. In her mad dash, she crashed with something in front of her and fell again. She rubbed her head and slowly got up. Around her, the curtain of smoke had already cleared and she could see the effects of the explosion... Surprisingly, there wasn't that much destruction as she had expected. Yes, there was a scorched area but it seemed like everything else was fine. It all had been a show... But that body she found... That couldn't be...

"Hephaestus! Hephaestus, help me!" She heard Loki scream behind her. Hephaestus turned around and saw Loki over the body of Jayce "He-He is not breathing! Help me!"

In reality, Hephaestus almost felt relieved. If such dangerous man was gone from Orario, maybe she didn't have to worry anymore about her nightmares... And with this, even her partnership with Loki would be over. For now, that stupid Goddess was on the verge of a collapse so it would be for the best to help her...

"It seems like the experiment was a failure, Mister Jayce..." A voice said behind Loki. She turned around to see a peculiar maid with a cold expression on her face. She carefully kneels in front of Jayce, gently picks his head between her soft hands and... Slaps him right in the face.

"M-Miss Maid! Wha-What are you doing?!" Loki asked in shock.

"Don't worry Lady Goddess, this sort of occurrence is far more common than you think and this method has proven to be the most efficient out of the other options," Ryuu answered while she continued slapping Jayce.

"I-I think there are better ways than... Than doing that!"

"I know there are but this method has proved to be the most satisfying... For me that is..." Ryuu added with a small grin. "Hmph... It seems like it is not working... I suppose it is time to try harder!" Ryuu said raising her hand above her head as much as she could and grinning devilishly.

"Miss Maid! I think you are-" Loki tried to stop Ryuu but it was too late. The elf smiled deviously and slapped Jayce with everything she had, her hand connected and created a wave that lifted a gust of dust and an explosion of sound. But even after that, Jayce was still unconscious. "Miss Maid! If Jayce wasn't dead I think you just killed h-"

"IT HURTS!" Suddenly, Jayce shot up and began rolling on the ground while he clenched his cheeks in pain "OUCH! Ryuu! What were you...? Ouch! What was...? OUCH! What did you do?! It hurts so much! OUCH!" Jayce complained.

"See, Lady Goddess. It worked just fine." Ryuu reassured, patting Loki on her back "And I also feel better..."

"You really hate me, don't you'" Jayce said with a huge swelling on his face.

"What are you saying, Mister Jayce? I consider you as one of my dearest friends." Ryuu answered with a grin.

"With friends like you, who needs enemies?" Jayce mumbled while he got up "Anyways, I suppose you did help me back there... Sort of. And what were the results?"

"A complete failure. The 'Power Cell' you wanted to created exploded once it reached the second stage."

"As expected, huh?" Jayce said examining the crater at the distance "Then, my theory was correct. I can't skip steps... This is going to be quite slow and boring..." He sighed scratching his head and finally noticing Loki and Hephaestus "Oh! Hi there... I... I wasn't expecting visits! I... I take you saw what happened here..." Loki nodded. "Oh, joy... Okay, let me explain myself..."

"I didn't know you were making weapons, Jayce!" Loki said excited "I don't know what that was but I want a hundred of them!"

"Let me tell you two things: One. I am not making weapons. Two. That wasn't a weapon. It was a power cell designed to hold a certain amount of energy so it can be used to fuel machines. I need them in order to power up the portal I need to get back."

"Uh... You... You still want to return...?" Loki asked a bit sad.

"It is not a matter of want, it is something I **Must** do," Jayce said resolved. He noticed Loki sulking and patted her head "But it will take a while... A long while so in the meantime, I suppose I could help you..." Loki¿s face brightened with a wide smile "Sometimes..." Jayce added and ruffled Loki's hair. "I can't promise you anything dangerous but there a few things in mind I can give you." The Goddess pouted but still gave Jayce a playful grin later. The champion then got up and finally noticed Hephaestus waiting on the side "Oh, my! Hello there, Lady Hephaestus. It is a pleasure to see you again." Jayce greeted with a court bow.

"I wish I could say the same..." Hephaestus whispered to herself and coughed "I take you were not planning on doing anything dangerous..."

"That is correct. As I said before, this incident was but a failure in my experiment... I would like to explain it in-depth but I am afraid it would take me a while and I do believe it is already late..." He added, looking at the dying sun on the horizon.

"Indeed... You know why we are here, right?"

"I am afraid to say I don't... I may be brilliant but it is impossible to see what lies inside your head aside from my assumptions," Jayce answered, scratching his head "But if I had to guess, I would say it has to do with that Ouranos..."

"Correct. You said some dangerous things and we have decided to keep an eye on you..." Jayce chuckled a little and Hephaestus glared at him. "And as you may already know, this smithy belongs to me and my Familia... So I demand to know what are you creating behind those doors."

"That sounds about right..." Jayce agreed with a sigh "Miss Ryuu, I know it is getting quite late but I hope you can stay here and aid me in this task."

"I understand..." Ryuu concurred with a nod "I will go ahead and organize the workshop while you review the safety measures with the two Goddesses... And for the love of everything pure in this world, don't hit on them?" Jayce simply tilted his head and winked to Ryuu "I just hope you what you are doing... If you excuse me, Lady Loki, Lady Hephaestus." Ryuu added with a bow and went inside the workshop

"She is such a strange fellow, huh?" Loki commented, watching the smithy.

"I can't deny that... But I have to say, I really am glad I met Miss Ryuu. She has been an important friend of mine ever since I appeared in this world."

"Ho... Now, that makes me feel jealous..." Loki pouted, pinching Jayce's sides.

"She is just a friend..." Jayce assured with a nervous laugh "Anyways, it is about time we move onto the main topic..." He said with a cheeky grin "If you please follow me, O' Great Goddesses of the heavenly realm!" Jayce claimed while he knelt in front of Loki and Hephaestus. Hephaestus huffed and rolled her eye while Loki giggled. "Before we enter, there are a few rules we need to go over..." Hephaestus glared at Jayce "I am sorry but these are standard safety procedures that were developed in order to ensure the well-being of civilians and outsiders inside of the workshops." Jayce chanted as if he had spent sleepless nights repeating the same words over and over again.

"You said you weren't creating weapons..." Hephaestus said with suspicion.

"That is correct... In theory."

"And what is that supposed to mean, huh?"

"Look, we all know the world I come from is immensely more advanced than this one... And I may have created a few harmless artifacts but that doesn't mean you can hurt yourselves by doing something stu... I mean, something... Something... Uh... Let's just say using my creation the wrong way can cause some... 'Unhealthy' results."

"You were going to say stupid, weren't you?"

"Right! If there are no more questions, let us go!" Jayce said ignoring Hephaestus.

Now, they were standing in front of the gates of Tsubaki's old smithy and she could feel the tension building. What sort of artifacts has this madman created? What dark purpose could those devilish things do? What sort of harm would he bring to Orario and the rest of the world? So many questions and so many vague answers. She wondered what was Loki thinking about but a quick glance at the Goddess told Hephaestus she was enjoying herself. It looked as if Loki could barely contain her excitement... Just as Hephaestus had expected from the troublesome and petite Goddess... She sighed and wondered if there was a time where she could have simply backed away and escaped from this madness.

Then again, destiny was quite mischevious with Gods.

"Prepare to be amazed!" Jayce suddenly claimed loudly "Behind these doors hides the world I came from! Behind these doors rest the secrets of progress and evolution! Behind these doors lies the future and everything to come! Behind these doors-" Hephaestus rolled her eye and huffed in disdain. Jayce was acting like such an arrogant show-off... It really made the Goddess cringe in anger... Loki, on the other hand, was devouring every word and every gesture with sparkles in her eyes. Those two sure were one of a kind. "And without further ado, Let head into a magical journey!" Jayce ﬁnally ﬁnished his speech and opened the doors to reveal Ia room ﬁlled with...

With...

...

Garbage.

There was absolutely no other term for such display of artifacts chaotically ﬁlling the smithy. There were tubes and other crystal vases on one side while the other was filled with twisted pieces of metal in various shapes. The walls were covered in blue papers with several illegible doodles on them. There was a wide blackboard on the back that had a bunch of messily arranged numbers and letters that made no sense. Besides the blackboard was the infamous hammer resting in some sort of handle with several threads made of copper surrounding it. Hephaestus also saw a peculiar purple orb inside of a metal cage with a few magic stones surrounding it and creating a spectacle of beams of lights. She also noticed a littered work table filled with several unimpressive devices and huge books with a blue hardcover.

"Wow... This place looks like a dump..." Loki voiced Hephaestus exact thoughts.

"Sadly, Mister Jayce does not know a thing about order and structure," Ryuu commented as she dusted a weird machine made of wood with a large platting between its part.

"I rather think about it as a harmonious chaos. A living being with each of its part in their rightful place."

"You are just too lazy to clean properly," Ryuu added with a flick of her hair "If it weren't for me, you would be fine with living with the rats and other vermin."

"Alright... How about we move on!" Jayce said clapping his hands "As you can see, I have a few of my creations here. You are free to ask me anything about any of the devices... Just ask me before you touch them. Some of them are extremely fragile or dangerous... Or both." At that, the two Goddesses scattered and began examining every little thing in the workshop "Do you think they will be okay...?" Jayce asked Ryuu with a nervous whisper. Ryuu looked at him, grinned evilly and left to keep cleaning the workshop "That's what I thought..." He noticed Loki, looking at the vials in his worktable.

The impish Goddess took a large conical flask and was about to drink its contents when Jayce took it away from her hands.

"Hey! I was going to drink that!" Loki said, hopping and trying to reach the flask in Jayce's hands.

"And that's why I took it from you. This ain't no juice."

"I know that much!" The Goddess said, putting her hands on her hips "It smells weird so it should be a potion! I just wanted to taste it and see its effect."

"I am afraid to say you are completely wrong," Jayce said while he placed the flask on the worktable again "This is not a potion. This is penicillin."

" 'Penicillin'? What is that?"

"The Penicillin is one of the most famous and powerful antibiotics in my world. It is extremely efficient in eradicating bacteria and curing diseases."

" 'Antibiotic'? 'Bacteria'? What are you even talking about?"

Jayce was about to explain everything when Ryuu interjected: "Mister Jayce, I think it would be for the best if Lady Loki saw it for herself."

"Are you sure? You got pretty 'sentimental' when you saw it... Don't you think it will have the same results?" Jayce asked with a nervous look on his face.

"Perhaps but it will be quicker... And it will probably be more educational."

"If you say so..."

"Hey! What are you two talking about?!" Loki asked in anger "Stop acting so conceited and show me already!"

"Alright, alright... Just... Promise me you won't scream, okay?" Jayce asked, almost pleading. Loki nodded skeptically and Jayce sighed in resignation. "Alright... Listen Loki, you may think you have seen everything this world has to offer... But what if I told you there is another world right under your nose... And I mean literally, 'right under your nose'." The Goddess tilted her head and Hephaestus stopped investigating the workshop so she could hear better. Jayce sighed again and went to his worktable. He began looking for something in the shelves until he brought a strange artifact. It was a golden barrel attached to some sort of handle with a small platform holding a set of crystals. "This is a 'Microscope'. It is an instrument designed to see objects that are too small to the naked eye... First, let me focus the lenses for you..." Jayce said bending down on the machine. He rested his eye on the barrel and began turning the cranks and adjusting the pieces of mirror and glass "Alright, that should do it... After you." Jayce said, offering the microscope to Loki.

The Goddess carefully approached the worktable and looked at the machine with curiosity. There it was again, that tingly sensation expanding through her body. It was an electric current that made her feel relentless and scared... But it also filled her with such excitement she could barely contain herself. She grinned and decided to step into the unknown. She carefully did the same as Jayce and...

"Woah!" Loki exclaimed getting away from the microscope "What...?! What is that?! Those things... What are those things?!" She asked, looking through the microscope again "How can this...!? How can this be even possible?!"

"Well... Even if you ask me, I am not really sure of what to say. I may be a genius but even I don't know everything, just what I know."

"That's sad... Hey, Hephaestus! Come and have a look!" The impish Goddess called, waving her hand. Hephaestus glanced at the artifact with nervousness "Come on! Don't be a chicken! I swear it's fun!"

That wasn't reassuring at all. Loki was well-known for her 'unusual' sense of humor. Her pranks were legendary among the Gods and some of them couldn't help but try to smite her down upon meeting... Thor, for example. Hephaestus had the slight suspicion that Loki had been banished from Heaven and that was the reason why she came here... Either way, Hephaestus sighed and simply decided to just get over with all this. There was no point in refusing that devious Goddess... So with resignation, Hephaestus stepped forward. Loki grinned and Jayce gave Hephaestus a reassuring smile and a silent apology. The Goddess glared at the microscope one last time before she ventured into the unknown...

...

She could...

She could see something...

A small circle with a gray and transparent background. It looked weird and it was tiring... But there was something else... Something that was creeping around. Hephaestus focused on those dim figures...

And she saw them...

Creatures with the same shape as the slimes. Beings with no shape that moved extremely fast in the area... And slowly, more creatures appeared. Some had defined shapes, some others were like the first. All of them with the same transparent color but with their bodies defined by a black line...

What...?

What is this...?!

"Pretty cool, right?" She heard Loki's voice nearby "But I still don't know what are those... Are you sure you can't tell me anything?" Hephaestus could almost see the pout on Loki's face.

"As I said before, this is not my area... But I suppose I can give you some insights. The creatures you are seeing through the Microscope are called 'Microorganism'. These beings can be found in just about every single thing in the world. Water, food, animals, humans... They are the main cause of diseases but they also help with many of the procedures in the environment and even inside the bodies of other living beings."

"Even inside of the gods?!"

"That's... Actually hard to answer. None of the scientists in Piltover had the chance to explore the body of a God so it is hard to tell... But I suppose they do, they might just differ in some ways..."

"Are you sure about that?"

"If I am honest with you, I am not. If you want concrete answers, I would need to do some experiments and gather samples... And even like that, my answers may not be correct. As I said before, I am not an expert in this field. I may be able to answer some of your questions but my conclusion would most likely be elemental."

"I see... That's a let-down..." Loki pouted again as Hephaestus finally stopped looking through the Microscope "So how was it?"

"It was... 'Enlighting..." Hephaestus answered with doubt. I wanted to look more but the image began darkening to the point nothing was visible."

"Well, it is getting dark." Jayce answered, looking through the window " Without light, that device is useless."

"Then light some torches!"

"I may have something better..." Jayce said with a mysterious grin "Ryuu, how's the generator?"

"It looks fine to me" The Maid answered "As far as I can tell, it is not broken... So I guess you should do 'that'."

"Alright! Let us do 'that'!"

"What exactly is 'that'?" Hephaestus asked with concern.

"It is pretty simple!" Jayce said, walking towards the center of the room "Dear Ladies, I am sure you have lots of questions, lots of insecurities, lots of needs... And I will answer and relief all of your problems! So if you please listen to me..." Hephaestus face-palmed. That idiot was rambling once again "And in short! All the answers will be yours in time...! But for now, allow me to shed some light on the subject..." He said with a cheeky grin and pulled a string attached to the ceiling. Suddenly, a bright light blinded Hephaestus and made her look away. She blinked a few times and once her eyes got used to the light, she was able to see this new invention. There were four sources of light at the corner of the ceiling with the biggest of them at the center and below Jayce. "So... What do you guys think?"

"Wh- What's all of this?!" Loki asked with her mouth wide open "Those are not torches! Are those magic stones? No, I don't feel any sort of magic... What are those?!"

"Those are Incandescent Light Bulbs, my dear" Jayce answered with an arrogant smile "They may have the same objective as magic stones... But the concept is different! It uses a simple system of wires and electric currents to power and heat a small and thin filament to such degree it glows with visible light! It is fairly easy to install and almost everyone can afford and use one as long as they... Hey, Loki! Don't touch that!" Jayce suddenly yelled. He realized the impish Goddess had climbed the shelves and was trying to touch one of the light bulbs.

"Why not...?" Loki pouted.

"Because it is very fragile and you could hurt yourself!"

"But it looks like fun...!" Loki complained like a little child.

"I don't care! Get down here, Young Miss!"

"Party-Pooper..." Loki pouted "What's the point in finding fun things if you can play with them...?"

"Listen, I know all of this sounds interesting but you could hurt yourself... And I can understand you are curious and you want to know but there are rules you must follow and respect in order to keep a safe environment in the workshop."

"But I want to play..." Loki pouted with fake tears.

"I... I understand but I can't just..."

"Mister Jayce, I think I may have the answer..." Ryuu interjected, "We could always use 'Plan C'."

"I... Don't think that's a good idea..."

"Hey! What's 'Plan C'!" Loki asked interestedly. "I wanna know! I wanna know!"

"Lady Loki seems okay with the idea... We should activate Plan C." Jayce glared at Ryuu but the Maid simply shrugged. The Champion sighed and nodded in defeat "I am glad you are a reasonable man..." The Maid said with a small smile and grabbed a big box from one of the shelves "Now Lady Loki, many of the components in this workshop are extremely fragile and important. And of course, you can't touch them carelessly... But in this box, I have a few... 'Devices' you can play with..."

"For real!? Show me, then!" The Maid nodded and took some sort of small red carriage from the box "Oh! What's that?"

"This called a 'Car'. It is the scale model of one of the few machines Mister Jayce want to develop. It is a new type of carriage that does not need any sort of beast to move... Allow me to demonstrate..." Ryuu added, turning a small key under the car. Suddenly, the wheels began spinning quickly and when Ryuu placed the car on the floor, it shot forward. "Quite the impressive artifact..."

"H-How is that possible...?! How?!" Loki exclaimed, grabbing the car and inspecting every nook and cranny.

"We can experiment with it outside when there is more room" Ryuu suggested, guiding the Goddess through the door "There are enough light bulbs around the workshop so even in the dark, we will be able to study the functions of the car... Now, allow me to explain how the engine works..." Ryuu began while the door closed behind them.

Hephaestus looked at the door for a few moments before he turned to Jayce, crossed her arms and glared at him. The Champion was taken aback by this and simply stared at the ceiling while he whistled a soft tune.

" 'Plan C'..." The Goddess asked cryptically "I don't know anything about that car... But that thing looked like a toy..."

"Well, yes... C for children, am I right?" Jayce said with a nervous chuckle. Hephaestus raised one eyebrow and Jayce scratched his hair "Look, I was completely against it... It was Ryuu's idea. I swear I didn't want to be rude in any way..."

"It's okay... It is an effective measure against Loki's hyperactivity... I just wonder why you have toys in here."

"Some kids appeared in front of the workshop one day. They said they were the owners of this land and they demanded tribute... Ryuu wanted to scold them but I decided to approach this problem differently. All those 'toys' are actually prototypes of several machines I want to create. They seemed quite satisfied with the haul so they stopped bothering me. Turns out those kids are the children of some of the Adventurers that work on the other Smithies... They come every now and then to play and keep me company."

"Never took you for one that liked children..."

"I hear that often... But it has its advantages, the parents are glad and they often help me with materials and other techniques I may find useful for my experiments. I also give classes to the children once a week..."

"Wait... You... Give classes...?" Aside from not looking like a teacher, Hephaestus doubted it was a good idea to have such dangerous man teaching the new generations.

"That also sounds weird coming from me but I can do that much. I may not be the best teacher but I am doing my best to help them understand the world..." Jayce said while he looked for something in his worktable "I am teaching them the basics with the help of this..." He said passing a neatly arranged book to Hephaestus "This amount should suffice for their elementary education... I would like to teach them the other levels but I am afraid I am not qualified to do so. I will still create the material needed to do so..."

"But this... How did you make this...?" Hephaestus asked as she skimmed through the pages. The contents were written in a strange set of runes but she was able to understand it somehow. Also, the handwriting was unusually neat and well designed. It was not something a human or even any of the other species could achieve. "Mister Jayce... How many children come to your classes?"

"Uh...? Well, I think twelve or thirteen... But I heard there will come more. I think the class will end up with twenty-five or thirty students."

"And you will give the same book to all of them?"

"Why yes, of course. I actually have over one-hundred in stock... I've been thinking about giving them at the center of Orario but that might not be a good idea..."

"And you made all of them?"

"Uh... Yes?" Jayce answered, confused.

"Ryuu didn't help you..."

"Uh... No? Why are you asking me this?"

"Because it is impossible to believe you made this book on your own" Hephaestus answered, inspecting the book again "It is written in a language I haven't heard of... And oddly enough, I can understand it easily. Normally, it would take more than a week to write a book with one-hundred pages, this book has more than three-hundred pages... It is almost as one of the ancient spell-books on the library and as far as I am concerned, those took years to finish... How could you make one-hundred books with three-hundred pages with this style of handwriting?"

"Well, the answer is pretty simple..." Jayce then signaled Hephaestus to get closer. The Goddess looked around and did as she was told "I didn't..." Jayce whispered in Hephaestus ear.

"Wha- What do you mean with that?!" Hephaestus asked in fury.

"I didn't 'write' the books. Of course, the contents were designed by me but I didn't write each and every single one of the books one by one... I used this instead..." Jayce said walking to the huge wooden machine with a metallic plate between its parts "This over here is the 'Printing Press'."

" 'Printing... Press?" Hephaestus repeated with doubt.

"Yes, that is correct. This is a device created to accelerate and improve the printing procedures. It used the 'Hand Mold' principle to create these pieces and use them in the process." Jayce added, giving to Hephaestus a small cube made of metal with a strange letter in one of the sides "Each one of these is molded individually and in large quantities in order to arrange them in a text. Let me show you..." He said as he began to place a bunch of the cubes on the plate in order. He made two paragraphs and let Hephaestus inspect it "Now that the text is ready, I just have to press the plate into the paper. You may not be able to see it, but the machine has a system that allows it to transfer ink from the cubes to the paper... And just like that..." He said while he pressed the plate with the paper. After a while, he lifted the plate and revealed the paper with the two paragraphs "You can 'write' as many books as you can... This process is called 'Printing'."

"Then you... You could make hundreds of books with hundreds of pages in mere days...! Or even hours! That... That is insane!"

"Really? Sounds below average to me, There was a place in Piltover that could print thousands of books daily... A few hundred of books is not that impressive."

Was... Was this man crazy?! That quantity sounded astronomically ridiculous! There was no way to achieve such feat... Even with the help of magic!

This... This was not looking good. Hephaestus could remember that many of the citizens in Orario earned their income by spending their days simply writing and writing. Their callous and tired hands wrote dozens of books in months... And yet, this man was capable of doubling that amount in mere weeks... Then, what was the point of all that work? Why were they wasting their time when they could simply use this machine and achieve better results?

But most importantly... Where would they go? As far as Hephaestus was concerned, those people only knew how to write. There was not a single thing they could do aside from writing... What would they do if this machine replaces them? Where would they end? How would they feed their families?

...

This...

This was terrible...

"Jayce... Does Ryuu know about this?" Hephaestus asked gravely.

"Yes, she does. She has helped me with the development of most of the devices here. She also takes time and helps me educate the children." Lies, there was no way the elf would help Jayce if she knew the consequences of her actions. "I also train her so she can handle the workshop whenever I am not present." Hephaestus went silent and kept staring at the book in her hands. She slowly began to squeeze it until it was crushed between her hands "Uh... Lady Hephaestus... Are you okay?"

"Jayce... What are you trying to achieve here?"

"Well... I just want to help in any way I can."

"And how are you planning to do that?"

"With all of this..." Jayce said, signaling at the workshop "Everything they need is here..."

"And what can you give them?"

"Uh...? Knowledge... A new way to see the world... Everything in here..."

"Is that all?"

"What do you mean with that?"

"I am asking you if that is all you can give them."

"Well, yes... This is all I can-"

"That is not enough!" Hephaestus yelled, throwing the book at the side. "It is not enough! In fact, you are just going destroy everything! It is not enough!"

"But it is... This is everything I have... And this is all they need..."

"So tell me, Jayce... Do you really think this is enough!? All these artifacts sure are outstanding... But they mean nothing against the power of the Gods!" Hephaestus yelled in anger "The Adventurers are given the power to fight the monsters! They fight the evil forces from the dungeon! They wield legendary weapons crafted by the Gods! They become heroes! They become the ideal for the kids! And at the end, they become the masters of the surface alongside the Gods...! So tell me... Tell me what is the point of doing all of this...! What could you possibly give to those weak and normal beings!"

"I will give them the future..." Jayce said with a small smile.

"You... The w-What...?!"

"You are right, Hephaestus... I can't give them the power to do the same as Adventurers. Not even I can deny my own limits... I may not be able to give them the power to kill monsters, but they will be able to fight against the diseases and plagues by creatine medicines and vaccines. They may never be able to face the evil forces of the dungeon, but they will stand against the forces of intransigence, injustice, ignorance, and intolerance. They will never be able to wield legendary weapons but instead, they will create the tools to measure the rules of nature in this realm and the others. They will not become the heroes children idolize so much but instead, they will become the ideal every human will aspire to be... They will never rule the surface... So I will give them the skies. I will give them the means to touch the celestial vault, I will help them own the stars, the sun, the moon, and the worlds that lie somewhere in the distant galaxies... I know this path is not easy. In fact, it is filled with thorns and many will give up before the journey has ever started... But those who persist will be rewarded with the keys to progress. They will lead rest of the humans as beacons of hope, not by killing monsters or saving princesses... They will do it by becoming the best humanity has to offer... You asked me what can I possibly give them, Hephaestus. Well, that's my answer... I will give them the future and everything that comes with..."

...

...

...

But...

But that made no sense...

That was... Impossible...

How could he...?

How could he say such things so carelessly...?

He didn't know the real weight of responsibility...

He didn't know what he actions could cause...

He was just...

He was...

...

...

 _And then..._

 _The giant smiles..._

 _And leaves with the light in his hands..._

 _..._

 _..._

 _The miserable Goddess was not able to do anything at all..._

 _She simply stood at the side and watched..._

 _She was so hopelessly weak..._

 _So hopelessly useless..._

 _So hopelessly cursed and lonely..._

 _..._

 _..._

 _Strange..._

 _The giant should have disappeared a while ago..._

 _But he is just there..._

 _Standing at the edge of the darkness..._

 _He turns around..._

 _And he smiles..._

 _..._

 _..._

 _Then he kneels..._

 _And gives the flames to the unworthy..._

 _..._

 _..._

 _But why...?_

 _Why would he do that...?_

 _He was supposed to use the falna to awake an ancient terror..._

 _But instead..._

 _He is just there..._

 _Kneeling and waiting..._

 _The children of Gaia slowly creep closer..._

 _And watch the fire in wonder..._

 _..._

 _But it is useless..._

 _No matter how hard they try..._

 _Those who were not chosen by the Gods cannot use the fire..._

 _It is useless..._

 _..._

 _They cannot use the fire..._

 _It stays in his hands..._

 _Burning their skin..._

 _..._

 _But..._

 _They are not screaming..._

 _They are not suffering..._

 _Instead..._

 _They are watching the fire in awe..._

 _..._

 _And then..._

 _One of the unworthy..._

 _One peculiar colorless child of Gaia takes the fire..._

 _And throws the flames in the air..._

 _The falna shines with a magnificent glow..._

 _And the flames become something else..._

 _..._

 _Towers..._

 _Tall towers like Babel pointing and touching the sky..._

 _But these are different..._

 _These are not violent symbols of the horror that lays dormant beneath their feet..._

 _These towers were reflecting the sun..._

 _Metal constructions covered in glass..._

 _Beautiful examples of what mortal hands can achieve on their own..._

...

 _Those colorless, hopeless, useless bastards children of Gaia are now something else..._

 _They are not golden like the chosen..._

 _But instead, all of them had their own color..._

 _Their own brilliance..._

 _Their own path..._

 _Away from the Gods..._

 _..._

"How...? How are you planning to do that...?" Hephaestus asked, biting her lip.

"Everything is here in this small room..." Jayce said picking up one of the tomes in his worktable "I have written down the basics in each one of these books. The Printing press will help in delivering everything in here..."

"But how?! I simply don't get it! How can you say you will help them!? How can they do it?! How?!"

"Because I am like them... I don't have powers or abilities like the Adventurers... And besides, do you really think progress will stop with me? After I am gone, they will keep moving forward towards the future. It is the beauty of knowledge, no matter how much you think you know, there is always more to discover. They will embrace everything nature has to offer."

"Is that your plan? The normal humans will gain that power... And then what?! They will separate from the rest of us! They will build their own society away from the Adventurers and the other species... Is that what you want?!"

"Who said science was owned by the human race?"

"Huh...? You.. What do you mean...?"

"Elves, Dwarves, Pallums, Hobbits... I may look different from them but we are all the same on the inside. We all chase after our own happiness and personal fulfillment as living beings. I will give these gifts to anyone who is willing to walk the path alongside me and the others... And that includes the Adventurers as well!"

"Wha...? What makes you think they will listen to you?!"

"Because I want the same as them... Because I also fight to protect what's right and to stop what's wrong. Our battlefields may be different but the goal is the same. After all, what kind of man is a man who does not make the world better?"

"That... That can't..."

"Listen Goddess, we humans are not the selfish and wicked creatures you and the other Gods think we are. We have lived in the surface since we were born and we understand each other better than any of you! I am not aiming to create an impossible and foolish utopia! Those baseless ideals are for the weak and the men of faith! What I want is a better world where men and women choose their own paths based on their own beliefs! I want a kingdom of conscience! I want a Kingdom of Heaven!"

Madness...

This man was insane...

His words made no sense at all...

Hephaestus backed away, scared of the monsters she had in front of her...

How could he...?

How could he ...?

The walls began closing on her. The artifacts in his work table looked like tools designed to tear the world apart...

How...?

...

...

 _Suddenly, the golden figures beside Gods began walking towards the crystal city..._

 _They ignored the voice of the Gods..._

 _Their eyes were filled with something the Gods couldn't understand..._

 _A craving..._

 _A need..._

 _A desire..._

 _A shared wish..._

 _They were still the same heroes the Gods loved..._

 _But now..._

 _They took the fire inside them and used it to create..._

 _The city began to grow and expand far and wide..._

 _And eventually..._

 _The city was as big as the mountain of the Gods..._

 _The miserable Goddess watched the crystal city in awe..._

 _But her focus changed to the back of the dark giant..._

 _And then..._

 _He turned around..._

 _And gazed upon the pitiful form of the miserable Goddess..._

 _..._

"You can't... You just can't..." Hephaestus covered her eyes with her hands and began shaking her head " You can't do this...! You can't take them away from us...! We have spent so much time together... You simply can't...!"

"I am not planning to do that. I will simply give them the power to choose, whether they choose to stay with the Gods or come with me is up to them... And if they want to follow me and abandon the Gods, I will gladly welcome them inside my workshop... And I will fight the Gods if they want to stop them! I may reject all sorts of violence but I am ready to fight if needed! Mark my words, Goddess: I will burn this world if any of you dares to attempt against the free will all mortal beings are born with!"

Hephaestus was terrified...

How could this man say such terrible things?

How could he create such wonderful things and use them to defy the will of the Gods?

How could a normal human be so incredibly scary?

But deep inside, Hephaestus was scared because she could see the truth... She could see the brilliant future Jayce promised. There was no way the Adventurers would choose the Gods after witnessing such beautiful future. At least, the best Adventurers will realize Jayce's promise was better than anything the Gods could offer... In the end, she was afraid because she already knew the answer...

"You... You can't... You can't take them from me..." Hephaestus cried helplessly "I don't want to be alone... I don't want to be alone anymore... Don't take them away... I can't follow after them... I can't be part of that future..."

"Who said you can't?" She heard Jayce said. Hephaestus felt him place his hand in her head "I think there has been a serious misunderstanding here... When I said I would accept everyone, I meant **Everyone**... And that includes you and the other Gods and Goddesses as well!" Hephaestus opened her eyes and saw the bright smile of Jayce.

"You... You mean that... You mean that even I... Even I can do the same...?"

"Well... You are the Goddess here, you tell me!" Jayce answered with a grin.

...

Does that...?

Does that mean...?

...

...

 _And then..._

 _He turned around..._

 _And gazed upon the pitiful form of the miserable Goddess..._

 _..._

 _But the giant was not there..._

 _Instead..._

 _There was a man..._

 _A normal man like the ones behind him..._

 _A man with a wide and bright smile..._

 _He smiled to the miserable Goddess..._

 _And grabbed her hand..._

 _Suddenly, the world was no longer gray and dark..._

 _The Goddess was finally able to see the true colors around her..._

 _No more colorless bastards..._

 _No more golden heroes..._

 _Even her brilliant body was gone..._

 _Instead..._

 _She was greeted by people..._

 _People of all races..._

 _All of them standing by the city of silver and gold..._

 _A city with metal towers covered in crystal..._

 _A city with vessels plowing through the skies..._

 _A city filled with hopes and dreams..._

 _A city where everyone could be free..._

 _The city of progress..._

 _The city of the future..._

 _..._

 _..._

 _The kingdom of Heaven..._

"Ah! Jayce made a girl cry!" Loki said suddenly appearing behind Hephaestus.

"Wah! Where did you come from?!" Jayce exclaimed startled. "I thought you were outside playing with the toy car!"

"I always knew you were a cruel man, mister Jayce... But to think you would make a Goddess cry... I expected nothing and you still managed to disappoint me." Ryuu commented, appearing behind Jayce.

"Okay! You have to explain how you did that! How do you manage to sneak on me?!"

"Jayce is... A bad man...?" Asuka asked in sadness.

"Yes, miss Asuka. Mister Jayce is an evil man that seduces women with his silver tongue..." Ryuu answered hugging Asuka "Don't get too close or else, you will end up pregnant."

"That's not how it works!" Jayce said in exasperation. "And where did you come from, Asuka?! I thought you were with your Familia!"

"Ho! Then, could you tell us how it is?" Loki asked with a mischevious grin.

"W-Wha... There is no way you don't know that!"

"Mister Jayce said he would teach us... Ah! Mister Jayce, teach us how babies are made!" Ryuu said with a monotonous tone.

"Will you teach us, Jayce...?" Asuka asked with sparkles in her eyes. The three girls now had Jayce cornered

"You... You guys are idiots!" Jayce exclaimed, jumping through the window.

"Ah! He is escaping! Capture that perverted, crazy, and handsome man, girls!" Loki exclaimed.

"Yes, Ma'am!" Asuka and Ryuu answered in unison and chased after Jayce through the window.

Hephaestus simply watched the whole event without saying a thing... After all of them were gone, she began laughing loudly. After all that drama, Loki simply popped out of nowhere and did something completely stupid and changed the mood. She walked to the window and watched how that weird Goddess and the other two girls chased Jayce. Laughing and playing around... An example of the things he wanted to achieve. A world where all of them could be the same...

Her eye followed him while he tried to escape... She felt something moving inside of her. It was not love... No, her heart already belonged to Welf... But she could feel how that brilliance of his moved her soul. It was awe and admiration... Ah... Who would have thought there would a day when a God admires a simple human being...

He was not an Adventurer...

He was not a hero...

He was just a normal human...

A simple man...

...

A good man.


End file.
